# Accident 20121215026719A: Piper PA-31T1, Ely, NV, December 15, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 15, 2012, 10:00 local time
- Place: Ely, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.0872° N, 114.5836° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0872&lon=-114.5836&mi=10
- Aircraft: N93CN, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N93CN-2013-03-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-31T1 (registry code 7103126, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31t1) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-31T1
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,345 total, 2,484 in this make and model, 18 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR13FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA070) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20121215026719A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

WHILE AT FL240, HEADING AT 320 DEGREES THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A RAPID DECENT ESTIMATED AT 10,000 FEET PER MINUTE DESCENT RATE WITH A SUBSEQUENT RIGHT BANK. WHILE DESCENDING, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BREAK APART LOSING THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE LEFT WING, VERTICAL STABILIZER, RUDDER, RIGHT AND LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS AND BOTH ELEVATORS. DURING THE DECENT BOTH WING TIP FUEL TANKS DEPARTED THE WINGS BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND INVERTED ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF 285 DEGREES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, PRODUCING TWO (2) FATALITIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR13FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA070), Dec 15, 2012: Piper PA-31T1 (N93CN), Ely, NV, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to regain airplane control following a sudden rapid descent during cruise flight, which resulted in an exceedance of the design stress limits of the aircraft and led to an…

## Other reports on N93CN (2)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20070906020229I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070906020229I), Sep 6, 2007: Piper PA31T1 (N93CN), Portland, OR, Minor damage. (-23) Pilot attempted to land on runway 25, was blinded by sun glare and lost sight of the runway, then touched down between runway and taxiway.
- [Incident 19970216001649I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970216001649I), Feb 16, 1997: Piper PA31T1 (N93CN), Portland, OR, Minor damage. Narrative: N93CN was enroute from sunriver, OR to Hillsboro, OR. During final approach while conducting an ILS runway 12 approach, N93CN was cleared to land.…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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