Piper PA-46-310P N315RC

Summary

On 26 June 1990 at about 20:16 local time, a Piper PA-46-310P registered N315RC was involved in an accident near Lakeville, Michigan, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 June 1990 at 20:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeville, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.5791, -82.9095

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-310P

Registration

N315RC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Flint → Akron

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI90MA162

1 person died.

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE AIRPLANE'S ICE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN A PERFORMANCE LOSS DUE TO INDUCTION ICING, PROPELLER ICING, OR BOTH, WHILE FLYING IN CONVECTIVE INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AT AND ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL. THE PERFORMANCE LOSS LED TO A STALL, THE RECOVERY FROM WHICH PROBABLY WAS EXACERBATED BY THE PILOT'S IMPROPER RESPONSE TO ERRONEOUS AIRSPEED INDICATIONS THAT RESULTED FROM BLOCKAGE OF THE PITOT TUBE BY ATMOSPHERIC ICING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

DRG IFR DEP, PLT RCVD PROGRESSIVE ALT CLNCS TO CLIMB TO 15,000'. AT 1607 EDT, HE WAS VCTRD FOR 'A GOOD RATE OF CLIMB' THRU 14,000' WITH CLNC TO PROCEED ON COURSE AFTER LVG 14,000' FOR 15,000'. RADAR DATA INDCD A STEADY CLIMB TIL ACFT WAS ABV 13,000'. AS IT CLIMBED FM 13,300' TO 13,900' (MAX RECORDED ALT), ITS SPD SLOWED FM ABT 115 KTS TO BLO 80 KTS. AT 1613 EDT, PLT WAS CLRD TO PROCD DRCT & CHG FREQ. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER RCHG 13,900', ACFT DEVIATED FM COURSE & ENTERED STEEP DSCNT. RADAR CTC WAS LOST & INFLT BREAKUP OCCURRED. PIECES OF WNGS & STABILIZERS WERE FND UP TO 1.5 MI FM FUSELAGE. TRAJECTORY STUDY DISCLOSED BREAKUP OCCURRED BTN 6000' & 9000' MSL. EXAM OF FRACTURES ON MAJOR CMPTS REVEALED CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF OVERSTRESS; NO PREEXISTING CRACKS WERE FND. NO AUTOPLT FAILURE OR BIRD STRIKE WAS FND. CLDS WERE LAYERED TO 20,000'; FRZG LVL WAS ABT 12,500'. THERE WAS EVIDENCE ACFT WAS IN OR NR CONVECTIVE PRECIP ABV FRZG LVL FOR ABT 1.5 MIN BFR RAPID DSCNT. FND PITOT HEAT SW 'OFF' & INDUCTION AIR DOOR IN ITS PRIMARY PSN. (SEE: NTLS/SIR-92/03)

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.