- Date
- January 2, 1989, 13:44 local (18:44 UTC)
- Place
- Carmel, IN
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2CLPiper PA-28-200
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890102000049A
- Case key
- 14243
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 pilot's poor understanding of the weather forecast, his failure to utilize the pitot heat in icing conditions and the exceeding of the stress limits of the aircraft.
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 aircraft departed for the x-country flt in IMC conditions. While climbing to cruise, the plt experienced a loss of aircraft control followed by an inflight separation of both wings and the empennage. Subsequent investigation revealed ice blocking the pitot/static tube. Icing forecasts were valid for the period covering the time of the flight and the plt had received a briefing regarding possible ice. Although the pitot heat tested to be operational when checked during a post accident exam, the pitot heat switch was found in the off position after the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2CL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2BR-7335045
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henson, Keith A.
- Registered owner
- Henson, Keith A
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 23, 1988 · 132 hours before
- Departed
- I52 · Zionsville, IN
- Destination
- AHN · Athens, GA
- 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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 257 total · 10 in this make and model · 3 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 20 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 N2CL · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.