What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Cft crashed under unknown circumstances, all 5 POB suffered fatal inj. (-23) on 9/7/98, Piper malibu, N9150X, departed mht bound for griffin, IN. The acft had taken 87.4 gallons of 100LL fuel at 12:10PM from stead aviation of mht and was judged to be filled to capacity. On board were the pilot, three more adults and one child. At 23:06 the acft switched to cleveland center and said "good night" to NY controllers. At 23:43 the acft was at it'sassigned altitude of 16000 in an area of weather cells when it disappeared from radar. Cleveland controller called repeatedly. Finally cleveland center asked a passing airline to listen for ELT transmissions. The airline did so, and nearly immediately reported a weak signal. The wreckage was discovered by ground search parties about 23:00 local time. The wreakage was spread over a trail of approximately 6000' in a northerly direction. The tail surfaces were the most soughern of the debris, the wings were found about 3000' short of the fuselage and separated by about 1500'. The five occupants of the aircraft were found inside the fuselage; all occupants sustained fatal injuries. The pilot, david maggs, was in the left seat and passenger, ken neth proctor, was in the right seat. Both individuals were strapped in withseatbelts and shoulder harnesses. (.4) the airplane was on an IFR flight plan, level at 16,000 feet, when radar and radio contact was lost. The tops of the clouds in the area of the accident were reported to be at 18,000 feet. A pilot who was flying in the area of the accident site at the time of the accident stated that the cloud tops of 'the buildups' were from 16,000 to 20,000 feet. The pilot additionally stated that moderate unexpected turbulence was encountered and 'obviously, the updrafts in the area were very strong.' Satellite imagery data revealed that an east-west cloud band, about 10 miles wide, was located in the area of the accident. The ground track of the airplane was traversing the cloud band during the minutes prior to and around the accident time. The onboard weather radar was found in the off position. According to advisory circular -00-6A, 'do avoid by at least 20 miles any thunderstorm identified as severe or giving an intense radar echo. Do clear the top of a known or suspected severe thunderstorm by at least 1,000 feet altitude for each 10 knots of wind speed at the cloud top.' The airplanes calibrated airspeed (KCAS) was calculated at 141 knots, and the indicated airspeed (KIAS) was 139 knots. According to the POH, the maneuvering speed at gross weight was 135 KCAS and 133 KIAS.
As the FAA filed it
CFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ALL 5 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJ. (-23) ON 9/7/98, PIPER MALIBU, N9150X, DEPARTED MHT BOUND FOR GRIFFIN, IN. THE ACFT HAD TAKEN 87.4 GALLONS OF 100LL FUEL AT 12:10PM FROM STEAD AVIATION OF MHT AND WAS JUDGED TO BE FILLED TO CAPACITY. ON BOARD WERE THE PILOT, THREE MORE ADULTS AND ONE CHILD. AT 23:06 THE ACFT SWITCHED TO CLEVELAND CENTER AND SAID "GOOD NIGHT" TO NY CONTROLLERS. AT 23:43 THE ACFT WAS AT IT'SASSIGNED ALTITUDE OF 16000 IN AN AREA OF WEATHER CELLS WHEN IT DISAPPEARED FROM RADAR. CLEVELAND CONTROLLER CALLED REPEATEDLY. FINALLY CLEVELAND CENTER ASKED A PASSING AIRLINE TO LISTEN FOR ELT TRANSMISSIONS. THE AIRLINE DID SO, AND NEARLY IMMEDIATELY REPORTED A WEAK SIGNAL. THE WRECKAGE WAS DISCOVERED BY GROUND SEARCH PARTIES ABOUT 23:00 LOCAL TIME. THE WREAKAGE WAS SPREAD OVER A TRAIL OF APPROXIMATELY 6000' IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION. THE TAIL SURFACES WERE THE MOST SOUGHERN OF THE DEBRIS, THE WINGS WERE FOUND ABOUT 3000' SHORT OF THE FUSELAGE AND SEPARATED BY ABOUT 1500'. THE FIVE OCCUPANTS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE FOUND INSIDE THE FUSELAGE; ALL OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED FATAL INJURIES. THE PILOT, DAVID MAGGS, WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT AND PASSENGER, KEN NETH PROCTOR, WAS IN THE RIGHT SEAT. BOTH INDIVIDUALS WERE STRAPPED IN WITHSEATBELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES. (.4) THE AIRPLANE WAS ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN, LEVEL AT 16,000 FEET, WHEN RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS LOST. THE TOPS OF THE CLOUDS IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT WERE REPORTED TO BE AT 18,000 FEET. A PILOT WHO WAS FLYING IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT THE CLOUD TOPS OF 'THE BUILDUPS' WERE FROM 16,000 TO 20,000 FEET. THE PILOT ADDITIONALLY STATED THAT MODERATE UNEXPECTED TURBULENCE WAS ENCOUNTERED AND 'OBVIOUSLY, THE UPDRAFTS IN THE AREA WERE VERY STRONG.' SATELLITE IMAGERY DATA REVEALED THAT AN EAST-WEST CLOUD BAND, ABOUT 10 MILES WIDE, WAS LOCATED IN THE AREA OF THE ACCIDENT. THE GROUND TRACK OF THE AIRPLANE WAS TRAVERSING THE CLOUD BAND DURING THE MINUTES PRIOR TO AND AROUND THE ACCIDENT TIME. THE ONBOARD WEATHER RADAR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. ACCORDING TO ADVISORY CIRCULAR -00-6A, 'DO AVOID BY AT LEAST 20 MILES ANY THUNDERSTORM IDENTIFIED AS SEVERE OR GIVING AN INTENSE RADAR ECHO. DO CLEAR THE TOP OF A KNOWN OR SUSPECTED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BY AT LEAST 1,000 FEET ALTITUDE FOR EACH 10 KNOTS OF WIND SPEED AT THE CLOUD TOP.' THE AIRPLANES CALIBRATED AIRSPEED (KCAS) WAS CALCULATED AT 141 KNOTS, AND THE INDICATED AIRSPEED (KIAS) WAS 139 KNOTS. ACCORDING TO THE POH, THE MANEUVERING SPEED AT GROSS WEIGHT WAS 135 KCAS AND 133 KIAS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9150X · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.