Piper PA-28R-200 N56960

Summary

On 14 November 2004 at about 18:20 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N56960 was involved in an accident near Dubbs, Mississippi, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 November 2004 at 18:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Dubbs, Mississippi, United States

Coordinates

34.5669, -90.3150

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N56960

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gonzales → Kenneth

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA05FA028

3 people died.

The pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and his in-flight loss of control, resulting in overstress of the airframe and subsequent structural failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of N56960 had initiated contact with Memphis Approach Control requesting permission to transit the Memphis Class B airspace. A controller stated that he radar identified the flight at 7,500 feet, and instructed the pilot to change frequencies but no reply was received. Two witnesses stated that they observed the airplane flying above them from south to north, the engine was making a "funny" noise, and all of a sudden the airplane spiraled downward with parts coming off of it. The main wreckage was located in a rural farm area and aircraft-related debris was spread over a length of 0.83 nautical miles from north-northwest to south-southeast, beginning with the right aileron and ending with the fuselage/main wreckage. The NTSB conducted a weather study and about the time of the accident, cloud bases were near 3,000 feet, and cloud tops were above 7,500 feet, with multiple cloud layers present, and visibilities of 0 miles in clouds, and greater than 3 miles below the lowest cloud. FAA records did not indicate that the pilot possessed an instrument rating. Examination of the engine and accessories revealed no evidence of any precrash anomalies. In addition, the NTSB Materials Laboratory conducted detailed examinations of the fracture surfaces pertaining to the left and right wings' forward and aft spars, as well as sections of the empennage, and all fracture surfaces were consistent with overstress.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.