Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Tennesse Colony, Texas 75861
Sunday, September 18, 1994 17:15 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WITNESSES REPORTED THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DISCUSSED PRACTICING STALLS. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED MANEUVERING AT AN ALTITUDE OF 3,000 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND WHEN WITNESSES HEARD A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, AN INCREASE OF ENGINE POWER, FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER PRIOR TO OBSERVING THE AIRPLANE NOSE DOWN AND SPINNING TOWARD THE GROUND. ONE WITNESS DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE AS TRYING TO 'PULL OUT OF THE MANEUVER BUT RAN OUT OF ALTITUDE AND HIT THE TREES AND GROUND.' ANOTHER WITNESS DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE AS 'DOING TRICKS' AND 'NOSE DOWN DOING CLOCKWISE SPINS IN TIGHT ROTATION.' THE AIRPLANE THEN 'OPENED UP IN MORE OF A FLAT SPIN LIKE THE NOSE WAS COMING UP.' THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED OUT OF CONTROL TO GROUND IMPACT. PRIOR TO IMPACTING THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT ALSO STRUCK SEVERAL TREES. DURING THE FIELD EXAMINATION THE FUEL FLOW DIVIDER COVER WAS REMOVED TO CHECK FOR FUEL AND NONE WAS FOUND. DURING A SUBSEQUENT ENGINE EXAMINATION THE UPPER FUEL DIVIDER DIAPHRAGM WAS FOUND RUPTURED. NTSB METALLURGISTS EXAMINATION REVEALED TWO TEARS IN THE DIAPHRAGM; HOWEVER, THE TIME OF RUPTURE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED TOWARD SUBSTANTIATING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND THE RESULTANT INADVERTENT STALL/SPIN. A FACTOR WAS THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/18/1994
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City TENNESSE COLONY
Event State TEXAS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 75861
Event Date Year 1994
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1850 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 315
Weather Observation Facility ID RBD
Elevation of weather observation facility 660
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 84
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 4000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 9
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 10
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 2
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 2
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1622
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 18 1994 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1800
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 6 2000 12:14PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N9159P
NTSB Number FTW94FA300
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-24-260
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-260
Aircraft Serial Number 24-4646
Certified Max Gross Weight 3200
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Aug 19 1994 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WILLFLY, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P. O. BOX 3993
Aircraft Owner City WILMINGTON
Aircraft Owner State DE
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19807
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOHNSON, JR., WILLARD W.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 1209 HILLTOP
Operator City PALESTINE
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 75801
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Personal
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code PSN
Departure City PALESTINE
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State TX
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --