Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vera, Oklahoma 74082
Saturday, April 27, 1996 14:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was on a two-leg cross-country instructional flight. Shortly after taking off on the second leg, an FAA FSS facility informed the pilots of a flight precaution for moderate to occasionally severe turbulence from the surface to 14,000 feet. After about 50 minutes of flight, the airplane crashed. There was evidence that the airplane crashed during an uncontrolled descent. Just before impact, a witness saw the airplane flying 'just above the tree tops' approximately one mile from the accident site. Witnesses near the crash site reported seeing 'white smoke and orange flame' coming from the airplane before impact. Examination of the wreckage revealed that incorrect exhaust system clamps had been used to attach the muffler to the right (#1 and #3) exhaust stacks. The clamps were identified as automotive types. There was evidence of an exhaust stack separation from the muffler and that exhaust gasses had entered the area around the carburetor fuel supply line. There also was evidence that an in-flight fire had burned through the lower left portion of the engine cowling, and an adjacent hole had been burned through the engine fire wall to the cabin area.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
improper installation by unknown person(s) of incorrect exhaust system clamps, which led to an exhaust system disconnect and a subsequent engine compartment fire.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/27/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1420 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | VERA |
| Event State | OKLAHOMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 74082 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| 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 | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1553 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 175 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TUL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 677 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 12000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 160 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 14 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 4 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1260 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 27 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2215 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 9:56AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N7845C |
| NTSB Number | FTW96FA183 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-151 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-151 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7615065 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2325 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Apr 24 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 10 |
| Airframe Hours | 7040 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | JOHN E. LIPPERT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 11334 SITTING BULL |
| Aircraft Owner City | LUSBY |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20657 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | JAMES KINKAID |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | PO BOX 351 |
| Operator City | PONCA CITY |
| Operator State | OK |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 74602 |
| 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) | Instructional |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SLG |
| Departure City | SILOAM SPRINGS |
| Departure State | AR |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1330 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PNC |
| Destination City | PONCA CITY |
| Destination State | OK |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| 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 | -- |