- Date
- September 8, 1992, 15:40 local (20:40 UTC)
- Place
- Aurora, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N717BBPiper PA-61-601P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920908035559A
- Case key
- 15311
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
Exceeding the design stress limits of the airplane by the pilot in command.
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 pilot was on second corporate flight of the day and complained to the avionics technician about the autopilot and asked him to adjust it. The technician said it would require a flight check. The pilot said he didn't have time for that, and got the technician to tell him how to perform the adjustment. Radar shows the airplane stable at 14,100 feet after departure. It then begins to deviate from cruise altitude between plus 100 feet to minus 200 feet. Center gives the pilot a fifteen degree course change for traffic and the pilot acknowledges the instruction while the airplane is deviating off course. Radar contact was lost and no further radio transmissions were received from the pilot. Witnesses on the ground reported hearing a loud explosion followed by a muffled explosion, and seeing the airplane exit clouds vertically. The outboard six feet of both wings were found 1.25 miles from crash site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N717BB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-61-601P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 61P-8063433
- Airframe hours
- 1,284
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-S1A5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive/Corporate · Part 91
- Operator
- Brent J. Black, doing business as Miami Valley Services
- Registered owner
- Brent J. Black
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 7, 1992 · 244 hours before
- Departed
- DAY · Vandalia, OH
- Destination
- MEM · Memphis, 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
- 27
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,100 total · 1,100 in this make and model · 120 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CVG, 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.