Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bend, Oregon 97707
Saturday, May 24, 1997 12:20 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The last radio communications from the pilot indicated that they were in instrument meteorological conditions and experiencing updrafts and picking up ice on the structure. Widely scattered thunderstorms and rain were reported in the area. Light to occasional moderate rime and mixed icing in the precipitation was reported from the freezing level to 12,000 feet. Moderate turbulence was reported for the entire state. Witnesses on the ground heard the sound of the engine but could not see the airplane. The witnesses reported that a 'pretty nasty looking cloud' with the sounds of thunder was in the area when they heard a sound similar to a sonic boom. After this sound, the aircraft's engine was no longer heard. Evidence at the accident site indicated that the aircraft broke-up in flight. The left wing separated at the root, the right wing separated about 109 inches from the root. Both the horizontal stabilizers and the vertical stabilizer separated from the empennage. Metallurgical examination of the fractured components were typical of overstress separations. Both the wings and the horizontal stabilator failed in a downward loading condition.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Overload of the airframe structure. Thunderstorms and turbulence were factors.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/24/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1220 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | BEND |
| Event State | OREGON |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 97707 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| 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 | 1216 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 360 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RDM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 3077 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 21 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Unknown |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1008 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | May 24 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1320 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:17PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N83211 |
| NTSB Number | SEA97FA120 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32-301T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32-301T |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32-8124006 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 5 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 3 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 2839 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | WILLIAM C. ISAACS |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1805 PIEDRAS CIRCLE |
| Aircraft Owner City | DANVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 94526 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SUZANNE A ISAACS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 1805 PIEDRAS CIRCLE |
| Operator City | DANVILLE |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 94526 |
| 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 | CCR |
| Departure City | CONCORD |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | RDM |
| Destination City | REDMOND |
| Destination State | OR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| 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 | -- |