- Date
- November 7, 1990, 11:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- Abilene, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6078YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 18055
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
An in flight encounter with turbulence. Factors were the pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight.
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 IFR flight departed into overcast conditions and climbed to 4000 feet MSL. The flight encountered severe turbulence and the plane entered a 3000 foot per minute rate of descent. The right passenger door and the left emergency exit separated from the plane, causing damage to the right engine nacelle and wing surface. The pilot pulled up abruptly and leveled the wings. The plane 'broke out' at 2,500 MSL feet, with wings level and 'under control.' Electric power was off and the pilot flew back to the airport, landed, and taxied to parking without further incident. The right wing was crushed at the engine nacelle, the nacelle was dented, both wings were distorted and wrinkled on upper and lower surfaces. The pilot thought the door probably was not fully latched during the flight and the turbulence made his leg hit the master switch, turning off the power. The area forecast warned of moderate turbulence below 10,000 feet.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6078Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-3279
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-520-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Parson, Roy G.
- Departed
- ABI · Abilene, TX
- Destination
- FSK · Fort Scott, KS
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total · 200 in this make and model · 1,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 800 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F