Piper PA-34-200 N55120

Summary

On 10 July 1994 at about 13:54 local time, a Piper PA-34-200 registered N55120 was involved in an accident near Gulf of Mexico. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 July 1994 at 13:54

Classification

Accident

Location

Gulf of Mexico

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200

Registration

N55120

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Orleans → Houston

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW94FA226

2 people died.

THE PILOT'S CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER. FACTORS WERE THE THUNDERSTORMS AND THE PILOT'S DISREQARD FOR THE FORECASTED ADVERSE WEATHER.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED DUE TO OVERLOAD AS THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MANEUVER THE AIRPLANE UNDER A LINE OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY ALONG HIS ROUTE OF FLIGHT. THE PILOT CONTACTED FLIGHT WATCH REPORTING A RAIN SQUALL ALONG THE ROUTE AND WAS BRIEFED THAT RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING IN FROM THE COASTLINE. THE CELLS SHOWED LEVEL THREE AND FOUR. THE PILOT REPORTED 'I'M IN SOLID RAIN RIGHT NOW' AND THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF ACTIVITY SOUTH. THE PILOT CONTACTED APPROACH CONTROL FOR VFR FLIGHT FOLLOWING AND WAS BRIEFED ON THUNDERSTORM CELLS IN THE AREA. THE PILOT REPORTED ACTIVITY ON THE COCKPIT STORMSCOPE AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A DEVIATION TO THE SOUTH. PORTIONS OF THE WRECKAGE WERE FOUND FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OVER SEVERAL MILES. CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS. EXAMINATION OF THE ONE RECOVERED ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT RECEIVED WEATHER BRIEFINGS THAT INCLUDED THUNDERSTORM AND RAIN SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH VFR FLIGHT NOT RECOMMENDED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.