- Date
- November 26, 1986, 18:23 local (23:23 UTC)
- Place
- Clinton, NC
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N122FPPiper Aerostar 601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861126068019A
- Case key
- 7269
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Analysis
While en route on an IFR flt plan at FL180, the plt acknowledged instructions to dscnd to 16,000'. Later, the radar controller (cltr) noticed the acft had deviate fm course & was not replying with mode 'c' alt info. The ctlr reqd alt info & the plt responded, '. . . I've lost an (awful) lot of alt, I got mixed up in here & lost alt, I'm goin' back up . . .' When queried, the plt rprtd he was at 9000' & acknowledged instructions to climb to 14,000'. Shortly there- after, the acft entered a spiral, then radio & radar contact were lost. An in-flt break-up occurred & the wreckage fell ovr a widespread area. An exam revealed evidence the wings & rgt horizontal stabilizer had failed fm overload, with the wings separating in an upward drctn. A wx study indcd there were cld layers fm about 14,000' to 20,000' with lgt to mod mixed icing in clds abv 14,000 ft. also, lgt to mod turbc was forecast blo 20,000' & widely scattered, imbedded tstms were forecast in an area north of the acdnt area. Witnesses rprtd clds & ocnl lightning to the east.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N122FP
- Reported as
- Piper Aerostar 601P (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-0412-147
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD, 350 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William K. Tyus
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 6, 1986
- Departed
- EWN · New Bern, NC
- Destination
- TYS · Knoxville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 175 in this make and model · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 30 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.