- Date
- August 14, 1991, 11:47 local (15:47 UTC)
- Place
- Waxhaw, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6262PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910814034319A
- Case key
- 8456
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The spatial disorientation experienced by the pilot in IMC, his failure to maintain aircraft control, and the exceeding of the design stress limits of the aircraft. Factor(s) in this accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, the VFR flight into IMC, his poor judgement, his overconfidence in his personal ability, and his lack of experience in instrument flying.
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.
Analysis
The non-instrument rated pilot was informed that the weather at his destination airport was IFR, however he elected to commence the flight under a VFR flight plan. While flying between cloud layers en route, the weather deteriorated, and he entered IMC. While being vectored toward better weather conditions, he became disoriented, and entered a high speed dive. During the recovery from the dive, approximately 50 percent of the stabilator separated from the airplane. The pilot was able to fly the airplane to a nearby private airport. He landed the airplane hard on the grass adjacent to the runway. An inspection of the stabilator surfaces revealed a positive 'g' overload failure; there was no evidence of metal fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6262P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 241370
- Airframe hours
- 2,706
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A4, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kemp, James O.
- Registered owner
- Kemp, James O.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 31, 1991 · 69 hours before
- Departed
- CRG · Jacksonville, FL
- Destination
- HKY · Hickory, NC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- NC21 · Aero Plantation, runway 6, 2,400 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 60
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,098 total · 316 in this make and model · 3,098 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CLT, 15 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.
Other investigations on N6262P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.