Piper PA-28R-201T N47806

Summary

On 18 September 1988 at about 04:02 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N47806, operated by Richard Smith Enterprises, was involved in an accident near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

18 September 1988 at 04:02

Classification

Accident

Location

Okmulgee, Oklahoma, United States

Coordinates

35.6291, -95.9491

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N47806

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Richard Smith Enterprises

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson → Oklahoma City

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW88FA164

1 person died.

NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT'S INTENTIONAL FLIGHT INTO AN AREA OF ADVERSE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS, HEAVY PRECIPITATION, AND TURBULENCE. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED VERTIGO AND LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN SUSTAINED AN INFIGHT BREAKUP AT A HIGH ALTITUDE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT CONTD VFR FLT AT NIGHT INTO AN AREA THAT WX BRIEFERS & ATC CONTROLLERS HAD WARNED OF THUNDERSTORMS, HEAVY PRECIPATION & POSSIBLE TORNADO ACTIVITY. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE REQUESTED 'A LITTLE GUIDANCE' & SAID HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE 'HOLDING A POSITION' & WAS 'RUNNING ON A . . . MAGNETIC COMPASS.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT ENTERED A STEEP DESCENT, THEN RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. THE ACFT BROKE UP IN FLT AT AN UNKNOWN ALT & WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 3 MI AREA. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE RGT WING HAD FAILED UNDER POSITIVE LOADS (UPWARD) &THE THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SPAR WAS BENT DOWNWARD. THE RGT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER SEPARATED & WAS NOT FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.