Piper PA-46-310P N9114B

Summary

On 31 May 1989 at about 21:06 local time, a Piper PA-46-310P registered N9114B was involved in an accident near Bristol, Indiana, 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

31 May 1989 at 21:06

Classification

Accident

Location

Bristol, Indiana, United States

Coordinates

41.7196, -85.8108

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-310P

Registration

N9114B

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tullahoma → Kalamazoo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

Unk

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI89FA101

3 people died.

CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT, WHICH RESULTED IN FAILURE OF THE WING SPARS AND SEPARATION OF THE RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE (STABILIZERS). CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: CONTINUED FLIGHT BY THE PILOT ABOVE THE MANEUVERING SPEED (VA), HIS LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE MAKE AND MODEL OF AIRCRAFT, AND THUNDERSTORMS.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER BEING CLEARED TO DESCEND TO TWELVE THOUSAND FEET AND TO DEVIATE AROUND A 'BIG CELL', THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED AN AREA OF LEVEL TWO AND THREE THUNDERSTORMS. SUBSEQUENTLY, AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OCCURRED AND WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A FOUR MILE AREA. DURING THE BREAKUP, THE RIGHT WING AND EMPENNAGE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE LEFT WING AND SPAR ALSO FAILED AT THE SAME LOCATION AS THE RIGHT WING, BUT THE LEFT WING REMAINED WITH THE FUSELAGE. NO PRE-ACCIDENT FAILURE, MALFUNCTION OR METAL FATIGUE OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND DRG THE INVESTIGATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.