Piper PA-24-400 N8496P

Summary

On 3 March 1988 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-400 registered N8496P was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 March 1988 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Midland, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Redbird

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-400

Registration

N8496P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

El Paso → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW88LA076

Nobody was injured.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.