- Date
- March 3, 1988, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Midland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8496PPiper PA-24-400
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880303016669A
- Case key
- 22622
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
Encounter with severe turbulence within tops of convective clouds. Leading to this was the pilot's failure to properly evaluate the potential danger of the convective activity, which he chose to penetrate.
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 plt rprtd that while he was cruising at 13,000 ft on an IFR flt, the acft was skimming the tops of ragged cumulus build-ups. He estimated the acft was aprx 200 to 300 ft below the top of one such cloud when severe turbulence was encountered. During the encounter, a 1500 to 2000 ft loss of altitude occurred & the acft was substantially damaged. After the occurrence the plt noted the 'gear up' light was not illuminated, the airspeed indicator was inop, & some rivets were popped on the wings. At the destination, he was unable to extend the landing gear with either the normal or emergency systems. He then diverted to redbird arpt & made a wheels-up landing which resulted in minimal additional damage. The pre-flt wx briefing called for turbulence along the route with occasional light to moderate activity below 8000 ft. the plt rprtd he experienced smooth conditions prior to the acdnt. After the acft was placed on jacks & the landing gear motor release handle was 'jiggled,' the normal & emergency gear extension systems operated normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8496P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-400
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 26-76
- Airframe hours
- 3,060
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-720-A1A, 400 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Houtan, Sepahpour
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ELP · El Paso, TX
- Destination
- DAL · Dallas, TX
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- Redbird, runway 31, 5,452 × 150 ft, concrete
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,050 total · 170 in this make and model · 2,050 as pilot in command · 58 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.