ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 36447
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| Date: | Friday 6 August 1993 |
| Time: | 11:40 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N479KC |
| MSN: | 32-7840019 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1978 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2497 hours |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Delight, AR -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Lincoln Airport, NE (LNK) |
| Howard County Airport, AR (M77) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 6, 1993, at approximately 1140 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, N479KC, was destroyed when it broke up in flight and impacted terrain about seven miles southeast of Delight, Arkansas. The pilot and five passengers were fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the site: however, the airplane was in instrument meteorological conditions when contact was lost. An IFR flight plan had been filed.
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.
Probable Cause: 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).
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001211X13129
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 12-Oct-2022 00:07 | Captain Adam | Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, Accident report, Photo] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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