Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Hamilton, North Carolina 27840
Monday, March 18, 1991 9:10 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PILOT REPORTED A VACUUM SYSTEM FAILURE AND A PITOT STATIC SYSTEM MALFUNCTION DURING AN INSTRUMENT FLIGHT UNDER INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS, BUT HE ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT TRACK AND ALTITUDE WERE ERRATIC. AFTER 28 MINUTES OF FLIGHT, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN A DIVE. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING PANEL, RUDDER AND HORIZONTAL STABILATOR(S) SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE VACUUM PUMP DRIVE COUPLING SHEARED BECAUSE OF IMPROPER THREAD TREATMENT (SEALANT TAPE) USED DURING INSTALLATION. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A STANDBY VACUUM SYSTEM, WHICH AT HIGHER ALTITUDES, REQUIRED THAT THE PILOT SPOOL THE SYSTEM (REDUCE POWER THEN ADVANCE THE THROTTLE) TO MAINTAIN VACUUM PRESSURE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF EQUIPMENT WHICH AFFECTED THE OPERATION OF THE STANDBY VACUUM PUMP, THE PILOT'S LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL AFTER EXPERIENCING SPATIAL DISORIENTATION, AND HIS EXCEEDING THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE MECHANIC'S IMPROPER USE OF THREAD COATING MATERIAL, THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH A KNOWN MALFUNCTION OF THE PRIMARY VACUUM PUMP, AND THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/18/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 910 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | HAMILTON |
| Event State | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 27840 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 901 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | RWI |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 158 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 35 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 300 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 0 |
| 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) | 984 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 44826 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 2 2009 10:38AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Instrument Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2871H |
| NTSB Number | ATL91FA067 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-201T |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7921081 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 0 |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SANSOUCIE, BARRY R. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 6 GROVE STREET |
| Aircraft Owner City | DOVER |
| Aircraft Owner State | NH |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SANSOUCIE, BARRY R. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 6 GROVE STREET |
| Operator City | DOVER |
| Operator State | NH |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRE |
| Departure City | MYRTLE BEACH |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 756 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | PAH |
| Destination City | NEWPORT NEWS |
| Destination State | VA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 2 2009 10:40AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| 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 | -- |