Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Lakeville, Michigan 48036
Tuesady, June 26, 1990 16:16 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

DRG IFR DEP, PLT RCVD PROGRESSIVE ALT CLNCS TO CLIMB TO 15,000'. AT 1607 EDT, HE WAS VCTRD FOR 'A GOOD RATE OF CLIMB' THRU 14,000' WITH CLNC TO PROCEED ON COURSE AFTER LVG 14,000' FOR 15,000'. RADAR DATA INDCD A STEADY CLIMB TIL ACFT WAS ABV 13,000'. AS IT CLIMBED FM 13,300' TO 13,900' (MAX RECORDED ALT), ITS SPD SLOWED FM ABT 115 KTS TO BLO 80 KTS. AT 1613 EDT, PLT WAS CLRD TO PROCD DRCT & CHG FREQ. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER RCHG 13,900', ACFT DEVIATED FM COURSE & ENTERED STEEP DSCNT. RADAR CTC WAS LOST & INFLT BREAKUP OCCURRED. PIECES OF WNGS & STABILIZERS WERE FND UP TO 1.5 MI FM FUSELAGE. TRAJECTORY STUDY DISCLOSED BREAKUP OCCURRED BTN 6000' & 9000' MSL. EXAM OF FRACTURES ON MAJOR CMPTS REVEALED CHARACTERISTICS TYPICAL OF OVERSTRESS; NO PREEXISTING CRACKS WERE FND. NO AUTOPLT FAILURE OR BIRD STRIKE WAS FND. CLDS WERE LAYERED TO 20,000'; FRZG LVL WAS ABT 12,500'. THERE WAS EVIDENCE ACFT WAS IN OR NR CONVECTIVE PRECIP ABV FRZG LVL FOR ABT 1.5 MIN BFR RAPID DSCNT. FND PITOT HEAT SW 'OFF' & INDUCTION AIR DOOR IN ITS PRIMARY PSN. (SEE: NTLS/SIR-92/03)

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO USE THE AIRPLANE'S ICE PROTECTION EQUIPMENT, WHICH RESULTED IN A PERFORMANCE LOSS DUE TO INDUCTION ICING, PROPELLER ICING, OR BOTH, WHILE FLYING IN CONVECTIVE INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) AT AND ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL. THE PERFORMANCE LOSS LED TO A STALL, THE RECOVERY FROM WHICH PROBABLY WAS EXACERBATED BY THE PILOT'S IMPROPER RESPONSE TO ERRONEOUS AIRSPEED INDICATIONS THAT RESULTED FROM BLOCKAGE OF THE PITOT TUBE BY ATMOSPHERIC ICING.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/26/1990
Event Day of the Week Tuesday
Time of Event 1616
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City LAKEVILLE
Event State MICHIGAN
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 48036
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 6
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 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Partial - limited by pilot
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1550 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 230
Weather Observation Facility ID PTK
Elevation of weather observation facility 980
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 16
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 6000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 7
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 13
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 220
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 12
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.9
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2174
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jun 26 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1600
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 45510
Date of most recent change to record Dec 18 2002 11:38AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\GIUV
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N315RC
NTSB Number CHI90MA162
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-46-310P
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-46-310P
Aircraft Serial Number 46-8508044
Certified Max Gross Weight 4100
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jun 1 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 7
Airframe Hours 710
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name D & M EXPRESS, INC
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1355 E. ARCHWOOD
Aircraft Owner City AKRON
Aircraft Owner State OH
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 44306
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
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 FNT
Departure City FLINT
Departure State MI
Departure Country
Departure Time 1602
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CAK
Destination City AKRON
Destination State OH
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Climb
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Feb 26 2001 8:05AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --