- Date
- May 31, 1989, 16:06 local (21:06 UTC)
- Place
- Bristol, IN
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9114BPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 18, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890531013829A
- Case key
- 14253
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
Continued flight by the pilot into known adverse weather and his exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft, which resulted in failure of the wing spars and separation of the right wing and empennage (stabilizers). Contributing factors were: continued flight by the pilot above the maneuvering speed (VA), his lack of familiarity with the make and model of aircraft, and thunderstorms.
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
After being cleared to descend to twelve thousand feet and to deviate around a 'big cell', the aircraft entered an area of level two and three thunderstorms. Subsequently, an in-flight breakup occurred and wreckage was scattered over a four mile area. During the breakup, the right wing and empennage separated from the aircraft. The left wing and spar also failed at the same location as the right wing, but the left wing remained with the fuselage. No pre-accident failure, malfunction or metal fatigue of the aircraft was found drg the investigation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9114B
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46-08046
- Airframe hours
- 705
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-BE, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Stout Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 29, 1988 · 79 hours before
- Departed
- THA · Tullahoma, TN
- Destination
- AZO · Kalamazoo, MI
- 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
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,619 total · 17 in this make and model · 1,482 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBN, 23 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.