Piper PA-24-250 N6522P

Summary

On 16 January 1994 at about 18:58 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N6522P was involved in an accident near Ratcliff, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 January 1994 at 18:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Ratcliff, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.3898, -95.1300

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N6522P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Galveston → Tyler

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW94FA065

3 people died.

THE PILOT FAILED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND ALLOWED IT TO EXCEED ITS DESIGN STRESS LIMITS, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE STABILATORS AND RIGHT OUTBOARD WING SECTION.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

BEFORE DEPARTING ON A FLIGHT FROM GALVESTON TO TYLER,TEXAS, THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLIGHT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ALONG THE ROUTE NEAR RATCLIFF, TEXAS. WITNESSES INDICATED THAT BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED, THE AIRCRAFT WAS MANEUVERING IN THE AREA. ACCORDING TO THEM, THERE WAS AN INTERUPTION IN THE SOUND OF THE ENGINE, THEN IT REVVED TO A HIGH POWER SETTING AS THE AIRCRAFT WENT INTO A DIVE & CRASHED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT OCCURRED. BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILATORS & THE OUTBOARD SECTION OF THE RIGHT WING HAD FAILED. THEY WERE FOUND ABOUT 400 FEET SHORT OF WHERE THE MAIN WRECKAGE HAD IMPACTED. ABOUT 28 MILES EAST-SOUTHEAST AT LUFKIN, THE WEATHER WAS IN PART: 1200' BROKEN, 4 MILES VISIBILITY WITH HAZE, FOG & DRIZZLE. ONE WITNESS ESTIMATED THE AIRPLANE WAS FLYING AT ABOUT 1000' AGL WHEN HE FIRST SAW IT. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT VERIFY WHETHER THE AIRPLANE WAS MANEUVERING ABOVE OR BELOW THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS BEFORE IT BROKE UP.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.