Piper PA-23-250 N4842P

Summary

On 12 September 2012 at about 19:55 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N4842P was involved in an accident near Bullard, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

12 September 2012 at 19:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Bullard, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.1375, -95.4328

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N4842P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Tyler

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN12FA628

1 person died.

The pilot's maneuver, which exceeded the airplane's structural limit and resulted in an in-flight breakup.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was en route to its destination when it was observed to make several turns before it pitched nose up, climbed, rolled to the right, and then headed toward the ground nose first. Several witnesses observed airplane components floating down after the airplane. All witnesses reported hearing loud engine noises throughout the event. Impact signatures were consistent with a nose down attitude with a near vertical descent angle. Distribution of the airplane wreckage supported the observation by eyewitnesses of an inflight breakup. An examination found that both wings failed in overload with positive wing loading. In addition, there was no evidence of flight control over travel or flutter. It could not be determined whether the pilot intended to perform the abnormal maneuver or if it was the result of a physiological issue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.