Piper PA-32RT-300T N30511

Summary

On 9 July 1990 at about 22:28 local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T registered N30511, operated by Kenneth R. Rose, was involved in an accident near Prineville, Oregon, 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

9 July 1990 at 22:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Prineville, Oregon, United States

Coordinates

44.1000, -120.6598

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT-300T

Registration

N30511

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Kenneth R. Rose

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bend → Boise

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA90FA129

1 person died.

THE FAILURE OF THE LEFT INTERMEDIATE EXHAUST PIPE, IN-FLIGHT ENGINE FIRE AND SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT, RESULTING IN IMPAIRMENT OF THE PILOT AND HIS SUBSEQUENT LOSS OF CONTROL.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

WITNESSES OBSERVED THE ACFT MANEUVERING AT A LOW ALTITUDE, TRAILING WHITE SMOKE, WITH ROUGH ERRATIC ENGINE SOUNDS. A PVT PILOT REPORTED THE ACFT WAS FILLED WITH WHITE SMOKE. THE ACFT MADE A STEEP TURN, PITCHED NOSE UP, ROLLED INVERTED, AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN TO IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED A FRACTURED COUPLING FLANGE ON THE LEFT INTERMEDIATE EXHAUST PIPE. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE FRACTURED FLANGE REVEALED MULTIPLE ORIGIN FATIGUE FAILURE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.