Piper PA-32-300 N479KC

Summary

On 6 August 1993 at about 16:40 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N479KC was involved in an accident near Delight, Arkansas, United States. 6 people were on board and 6 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 August 1993 at 16:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Delight, Arkansas, United States

Coordinates

34.0200, -93.4999

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N479KC

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lincoln → Nashville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN93FA099

6 people died.

THE FAILURE OF THE VACUUM PUMP, AND AN INOPERATIVE TURN COORDINATOR. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AS A RESULT OF SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, THE PILOT EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRPLANE, AND THE WEATHER CONDITIONS (CLOUDS).

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

AFTER BEING CLEARED FOR THE LOCALIZER APPROACH TO THE TEXARKANA AIRPORT, THE PILOT CANCELLED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN, AND SAID HE WOULD PROCEED VFR TO NASHVILLE, AR. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT REPORTED HE WAS IN THE CLOUDS AND THAT HE HAD LOST HIS VACUUM, THE TURN COORDINATOR DID NOT WORK, AND HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF VERTIGO. THE CONTROLLER ATTEMPTED TO VECTOR THE PILOT BACK TO TEXARKANA, BUT NOTED HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY HOLDING A HEADING. THE AIRPLANE BROKE UP IN FLIGHT. THE LEFT WING SPAR WAS FOUND TWISTED UP AND AFT, THE RIGHT WING SPAR WAS BENT SLIGHTLY DOWN AND AFT, AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER SPAR WAS BENT AFT. LABORATORY EXAMINATION OF THE VACUUM PUMP REVEALED THE DRIVE SHAFT HAD SHEARED IN TORSION, THE ROTOR HAD BROKEN IN OVERSTRESS, AND THE VANES WERE WORN. IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED IF THE INOPERATIVE TURN COORDINATOR, WHICH HAD AN ELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE OF 10,000 OHMS, HAD FAILED PRIOR TO OR ON THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.