Piper PA-24-260 N8681P

Summary

On 30 June 2002 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N8681P was involved in an accident near Gorman, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

30 June 2002 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Gorman, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.2606, -98.7089

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N8681P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Dublin → Lamesa

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW02FA192

4 people died.

The pilot's loss of control and the exceedence of the design limits of the airplane which resulted in an in-flight break-up. A factor was inadvertent VFR flight into IMC.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The instrument-rated pilot lost control of the airplane, which experienced an in-flight break-up, after encountering instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) while on a visual flight rules (VFR) cross-country flight. There was no record of a weather briefing or air traffic control (ATC) communications for the accident airplane. Radar data, assumed to be that of the accident airplane, revealed it was climbing from 7,300 to 8,500 feet before descending rapidly to 4,700 feet, which was the altitude of the last radar return. The radar data depicted the airplane making a left turn followed by a right turn (the right turn took place during the rapid descent). The aircraft fuselage was located approximately 4,500 feet southwest from the last radar return. The wreckage was distributed along a 1.4-mile wreckage path. Weather radar data at the time of the accident was overlayed onto the ATC radar data. The combined information depicted the airplane flying through the leading edge of a precipitation cell that was in the area. The pilot's logbooks were not located, therefore, his instrument currency and experience was left undefined. No anomalies were noted with the airplane, engine, or its flight instruments that would have contributed to the accident. No distress calls were received from the airplane.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.