Piper PA-46-350P N133MA

Summary

On 22 December 1994 at about 17:52 local time, a Piper PA-46-350P registered N133MA was involved in an accident near Rochester, Minnesota, 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

22 December 1994 at 17:52

Classification

Accident

Location

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Rochester Municiple (RST)

Coordinates

44.0099, -92.4708

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-350P

Registration

N133MA

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Guntersville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95FA061

3 people died.

FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, WHILE CLIMBING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AFTER TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FOG, LOW CEILING, THE PILOT'S LACK OF RECENT INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE, AND THE EXCESSIVE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRPLANE.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED ON RUNWAY 31 IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AND TURNED RIGHT TO A HEADING OF 090 DEGREES. RADAR CONTACT (ARTS TAG) WAS ACQUIRED ABOUT 1 TO 2 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. REPORTEDLY, THE ARTS TAG WOULD TYPICALLY BE ACQUIRED AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED THROUGH AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 700 FEET AGL. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE AIRPLANE CRASHED ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. A WITNESS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD ENGINE NOISE BEFORE THE PLANE CRASHED. THE WRECKAGE PATH WAS ORIENTED ALONG A WESTERLY HEADING AND OVER AN AREA OF ABOUT 380 FEET. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP. AN OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE RIGHT WING WAS FOUND ABOUT 150 FEET FROM THE MAIN IMPACT CRATER. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THE RIGHT WING HAD FAILED NEAR THE PRODUCTION SEAM. THE RIGHT SPAR EXHIBITED FEATURES 'TYPICAL OF AN UPWARD BENDING OVERSTRESS SEPARATION.' EXAMINATION REVEALED NO OTHER EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT AIRCRAFT OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE AIRPLANE'S GROSS WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 4696 POUNDS; ITS MAX LIMIT WAS 4300 POUNDS. THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT HE HAD FLOWN ONLY 2 INSTRUMENT APPROACHES IN THE PREVIOUS 14 MONTHS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.