- Date
- May 27, 1990, 10:34 local (15:34 UTC)
- Place
- Naylor, MO
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N22EKPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 5, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900527017389A
- Case key
- 35020
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 pilot's failure to activate the pitot heat before flying in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) above the freezing level, followed by his improper response to erroneous airspeed indications that resulted from blockage of the pitot tube by atmospheric icing.
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 tkof, the plt rcvd progressive alt clncs to FL200. While cruising at FL200, he rprtd 'moderate chop.' At abt 1125 CDT, he reqd & rcvd clnc to FL220. Abt 3 min ltr, he inquired abt cld tops & said he was 'in a layer right now at about flight level 200 to 210.' Soon thereafter, the acft bgn alt deviations & went abv the assigned alt of FL220 (22,000'). It then dscndd to abt 20,500', where it pitched up to an alt of abt 23,000'. The acft then went into a steep dscnt. Subsequently, an in-flt breakup of the acft occurred at abt the time it emerged fm the clds nr the 2000 ft lvl. Pieces of wreckage were fnd ovr a wide area. The left wing was fnd abt .2 mi fm the fuselage; pieces of the rudder & stabilizers were fnd abt 100 yds fm the fuselage. An exam of the fractures on major structural components revealed features typical of overstress sepn. No preexisting cracks were fnd. An area forecast had flt prctns for IFR, tstms, icing in the vcnty of convective activity. The pitot heat sw was fnd in the 'off' psn. (See: NTSB/SIR-92/03)
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22EK
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46-8508024
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-BE1B, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Adams, Frank M
- Departed
- UOS · Sewanee, TN
- Destination
- SGF · Springfield, MO
- 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
- 64
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,603 total · 182 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI, 61 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.