Piper PA-36-300 N57871

Summary

On 8 September 1996 at about 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-36-300 registered N57871 was involved in an accident near Stanton, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 September 1996 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Stanton, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Stanton Municipal (63F)

Coordinates

32.1191, -101.7894

Aircraft

Piper PA-36-300

Registration

N57871

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 137: Agricultural

Purpose of flight

Aerial Application

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW97LA029

Nobody was injured.

Pilot's failure to maintain clearance with a wire resulting in the separation of the rudder and a loss of aircraft control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a local aerial application flight maneuver, the pilot was spraying milo and cleaning up the edge of the field when the airplane struck an electrical wire where the rudder and the vertical stabilizer meet at the leading edge and the wire cutters did not cut the wire. The upper bolt of the rudder was pulled out and the rudder was hanging by cables and the lower bolt. During the 15 mile flight to the airport, the rudder vibrated loose and separated from the aircraft. When the airplane was slowed for the landing/flare the pilot lost control of the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.