- Date
- July 9, 1990, 15:28 local (22:28 UTC)
- Place
- Prineville, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N30511Piper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19900709025099A
- Case key
- 41117
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 failure of the left intermediate exhaust pipe, in-flight engine fire and smoke in the cockpit, resulting in impairment of the pilot and his subsequent loss of control.
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
Witnesses observed the acft maneuvering at a low altitude, trailing white smoke, with rough erratic engine sounds. A pvt pilot reported the acft was filled with white smoke. The acft made a steep turn, pitched nose up, rolled inverted, and descended nose down to impact. Examination of the wreckage revealed a fractured coupling flange on the left intermediate exhaust pipe. Metallurgical examination of the fractured flange revealed multiple origin fatigue failure.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30511
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7887280
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Kenneth R. Rose
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 11, 1990
- Departed
- SO7 · Bend, OR
- Destination
- BOI · Boise, ID
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
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,750 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDM, 18 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.