- Date
- June 13, 2003, 11:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Fe, NM
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N211EZPiper PA-46-500TP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20030613025459A
- Case key
- 57943
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 inadvertent encounter with turbulence associated with thunderstorms. A contributing factor was the icing conditions.
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 said he was at FL290 and was circumnavigating isolated thunderstorms. Flight Watch informed him of a SIGMET for thunderstorms forming between Colorado and New Mexico. At the suggestion of Flight Watch, the pilot turned toward an alternate airport, but he had to continually change heading due to rapidly developing cells. He did not have enough fuel to fly to this alternate, so he elected to divert to another alternate airport. All anti-ice equipment was turned on. During the descent through the clouds, mixed icing started to rapidly accumulate on the aircraft. As the pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to leave the icing conditions, the plane encountered severe downdrafts. The pilot declared an emergency and landed at his alternate airport in visual meteorological conditions without further incident. Postaccident examination revealed the inboard panels of both bonded wings were wrinkled, necessitating the replacement of the entire wing assembly.
Factual narrative
On June 13, 2003, approximately 1130 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, N211EZ, was substantially damaged when it encountered turbulence during descent to Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF), Santa Fe, New Mexico. The private pilot and his two passengers were not injured. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed, and an IFR flight plan had been filed for the cross-country flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated from Novato, California, approximately 0830 Pacific daylight time, and was en route to Gunnison, Colorado.
Unable to determine the extent of damage, the accident was not reported either by the pilot, the airframe manufacturer, or the local FAA Flight Standards District Office. NTSB learned of this accident in a conversation with a local repair facility that was corroborated by the airplane insurance company.
According to the pilot, he was at FL290 and was circumnavigating isolated thunderstorms. Flight Watch informed him of a SIGMET for thunderstorms forming between Colorado and New Mexico. At the suggestion of Flight Watch, the pilot turned toward Tucumcari, New Mexico, but he had to continually change heading due to rapidly developing cells. He did not have enough fuel to fly to Tucumcari, so he pilot elected to divert to Santa Fe, New Mexico. All anti-ice equipment was turned on. During the descent through the clouds, mixed icing started to rapidly accumulate on the aircraft. As the pilot initiated a 180-degree turn to leave the icing conditions, the plane encountered severe downdrafts. The pilot declared an emergency and landed at Santa Fe in visual meteorological conditions without further incident.
Postaccident examination revealed the inboard panels of both bonded wings were wrinkled, necessitating the replacement of the entire wing assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N211EZ
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-500TP
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4697117
- Airframe hours
- 289
- Engine
- Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A, 500 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Aaron Singer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 22, 2003 · 75 hours before
- Departed
- DVO · Novato, CA
- Destination
- GUC · Gunnison, CO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- SAF · Santa Fe Municipal Airport, runway 020, 8,342 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- January 25, 2002
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 756 total · 269 in this make and model · 722 as pilot in command · 49 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- SAF
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.