Hatbox Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Porter, Oklahoma 74454
Friday, May 22, 1987 22:54 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ACFT WAS OBSERVED IN A RT BANK WHEN IT EXPERIENCED AN INFLT BREAKUP. BOTH WINGS, VERT STAB AND RUDDER, AND THE HORZ STAB AND TRIM TAB SEPARATED PRIOR TO IMPACT. WX WAS DARK NIGHT WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUD COVER, BUT VFR. ALTHOUGH A WX RPT 33 NM NORTHWEST OF THE SITE LISTED THE WX AS 10,000 SCT, 25,000 OVC, A GROUND WITNESS STATED THAT IT WAS CLOUDY, BUT THAT HE COULD SEE SOME STARS BETWEEN THE CLOUDS. THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PVT PLT, WHO HAD CHECKED OUT IN THE ACFT THAT DAY, HAD BEEN RESTRICTED FROM NIGHT FLIGHT DUE TO NON-COMPLIANCE WITH FAR 61.109 (MINIMUM NIGHT TIME) WHEN HE RECEIVED HIS PVT CERT. INSTRUCTOR HAD WARNED HIM NOT TO ATTEMPT TO FLY SOLO AT NIGHT. ALL SEPARATION FRACTURES WERE OVERSTRESS. RT WING WAS STRUCK BY THE LFT WING AFTER IT SEPARATED IN A NEGATIVE MANNER. PLT HAD 2 HRS DUAL NIGHT LOGGED SEVERAL MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND ABOUT 45 MINS SOLO ON THE ACCIDENT FLT.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/22/1987
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 2254
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City PORTER
Event State OKLAHOMA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 74454
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport HATBOX
Event Location Nearest Airport ID HAX
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 8
Degrees magnetic from airport 340
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 2248 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 330
Weather Observation Facility ID TUL
Elevation of weather observation facility 674
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 28
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 25000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 10000
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) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 21
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 16
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 50
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
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) 1957
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date May 23 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 113
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 35386
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:23PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N81796
NTSB Number FTW87FA123
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-32R-301
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-32R-301
Aircraft Serial Number 32R-8013081
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 6
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Jan 1 1987 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 40
Airframe Hours 1190
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name DR. J. C. ROGERS
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 648
Aircraft Owner City WARNER
Aircraft Owner State OK
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 74469
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code OK33
Departure City AFTON
Departure State OK
Departure Country
Departure Time 2215
Departure Time Zone CDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code HAX
Destination City MUSKOGEE
Destination State OK
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
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 --