Piper PA-24-250 N6206P

Summary

On 16 July 1989 at about 15:58 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N6206P was involved in an accident near Hartleton, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 July 1989 at 15:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Hartleton, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

40.8998, -77.1604

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N6206P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bradford → Pottstown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC89FA167

2 people died.

THE PILOT ALLOWED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE EXCEEDED AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WEATHER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ACFT WAS ON AN IFR FLT AT 7000 FT. AT 1158:29, THE PLT RPRTD, 'SIX TWO ZERO SIX PAPA SPINNING.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON WOODED TERRAIN NEAR THE TOP OF A MTN RIDGE. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT BEFORE IT CRASHED, THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL CLOUD FORMATION IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS STRONG/GUSTY WINDS. HE SAID HE SAW THE ACFT DISAPPEAR BEHIND A WALL OF CLOUDS & REAPPEAR. HE INDICATED THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIN, THEN FLEW BACK UP ALMOST AS FAST AS IT CAME DOWN, BEFORE CRASHING. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS SEPARATED IN FLT. THEY WERE FOUND AWAY FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE & HAD FAILED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION FROM OVERLOAD. NO OTHER PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS EVIDENT. WEATHER RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT THE ACFT HAD CRASHED IN THE AREA OF A LEVEL 2 ECHO.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.