Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

San Simon, Arizona 85632
Wednesday, October 27, 1993 8:24 MST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AT O634 MST, THE PILOT FILED A VFR FLIGHT PLAN & RECEIVED WEATHER INFO FOR A ROUTE FROM EL PASO TO TUCSON. HE WAS ADVIZED OF 2 PIREPS REGARDING SEVERE TURBULENCE IN THE TUCSON AREA & OF AN AIRMET CONCERNING TURBULENCE BELOW 12000 FT. THE PILOT'S TAKEOFF & DEPARTURE APPEARED NORMAL, THEN THERE WAS NO FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE AIRPLANE. WHILE EN ROUTE, AN IN-FLIGHT BREAKUP OF THE AIRCRAFT OCCURRED, BUT THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES. THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING PANEL WAS FOUND ABOUT 2/10 MILE FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE WITH EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD FAILED IN POSITIVE (UPWARD) LOADING. THE OUTBOARD 2/3 OF THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD SEPARATED, BUT WAS NOT FOUND; THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT IT HAD FAILED DOWNWARD. A PARK RANGER NOTED THE PRESENCE OF A 'BLACK . . . DOME SHAPED' CLOUD OVER MOUNTAINS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE CRASH SITE. IT WAS CAPPED WITH ANOTHER SMALLER CLOUD AT A HIGHER ELEVATION. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD NOT ISSUED AN ADVISORY FOR SEVERE TURBULENCE, ALTHOUGH INFO FOR SUCH DETERMINATION EXISTED BEFORE THE FLIGHT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION, AND HIS ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO EXCEED ITS DESIGN STRESS LIMITS, WHICH RESULTED IN OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WIND SECTION AND LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, AND AN INADEQUATE HAZARDOUS WEATHER ADVISORY CONCERNING THE SEVERE TURBULENCE.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 10/27/1993
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 824
Event Time Zone Mountain Standard Time
Event City SAN SIMON
Event State ARIZONA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 85632
Event Date Year 1993
Event Date Month 10
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 Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Witness
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
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) 30
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 135
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 20
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
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) 6009
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Oct 28 1993 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1217
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information IMAGE
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 1:42PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number XBHOM
NTSB Number LAX94FA028
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-24-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-250
Aircraft Serial Number PA-24-1913
Certified Max Gross Weight 2800
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign 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 Unknown
Date of Last Inspection Mar 11 1993 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 65
Airframe Hours 3200
ELT Installed Unknown
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name JOSEPH AND RULON WAGNER
Aircraft Owner Street Address PESQUERIA Y ROSALES 201
Aircraft Owner City NAVOJDA, SON.
Aircraft Owner State MX
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 85800
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name JOSEPH W. WAGNER
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 7779 ROSEDALE STREET
Operator City EL PASO
Operator State TX
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 79915
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code ELP
Departure City EL PASO
Departure State TX
Departure Country
Departure Time 827
Departure Time Zone MDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code RYN
Destination City TUCSON
Destination State AZ
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 --