Piper PA-28R-200 N56971

Summary

On 15 May 1994 at about 04:04 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N56971 was involved in an accident near San Antonio, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 May 1994 at 04:04

Classification

Accident

Location

San Antonio, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.5296, -98.6096

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N56971

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gulfport → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW94LA157

2 people were seriously injured.

THE PILOT CONTINUED FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WAS A FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER SHOOTING AN ILS APPROACH AND BREAKING OUT, THE PILOT TERMINATED THE APPROACH AND PROCEEDED TO HIS HOME BASE AIR STRIP. HE STATED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE DURING THE APPROACH AND EN ROUTE TO THE STRIP, TO THE POINT THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE. THERE WERE THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE AREA. HE SAID THAT THE LAST THING THAT HE AND THE PASSENGER RECALLED ABOUT THE FLIGHT WAS BEING SET UP ON A RIGHT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 16 WITH THE GEAR DOWN. HE STATED THAT THE NEXT THING HE REMEMBERED WAS BEING ON THE GROUND AND STOPPED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE BELIEVED THAT HE ENCOUNTERED A MICROBURST THAT FORCED THE AIRPLANE DOWN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.