Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Steinhatchee, Florida 32359
Wednesday, July 23, 1986 9:13 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ON 7/23/86, ARTCC LOST RADAR & RADIO CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WHILE THE PLT WAS IN LVL FLT AT 6000 FT IN AN AREA OF LVL 3 & 4 THUNDERSTORMS (TSTMS). TWO DAYS LATER, THE LEFT WING PANEL & THE TIPS OF THE HORIZONTAL STABILATORS WERE FND IN THE VICINITY OF WHERE CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST. ON 7/26/86, THE MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FND APRX .8 MI FURTHER TO THE SW. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF UPWARD FAILURE OF THE WING & DOWNWARD FAILURE OF THE STABILATORS, BOTH FROM OVERLOAD. NO PRE-ACDNT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. THE PLT OF ANOTHER ACFT RPRTD THAT HE NOTED A LARGE 'WALL' OF CUMULUS CLOUDS IN THE ACDNT AREA; HE DIVERTED TO AVOID THE WX.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/23/1986
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 913
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City STEINHATCHEE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 32359
Event Date Year 1986
Event Date Month 7
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 Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 954 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID GNV
Elevation of weather observation facility 152
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 60
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Unknown
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) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1100
Intensity of Precipitation Light
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) 1820
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 23 1986 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1050
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 32281
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:14AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Unknown
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N6151J
NTSB Number MIA86FA218
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-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7690354
Certified Max Gross Weight 2450
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 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jun 11 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 4199
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name WENDELL DENBESTEN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 5705 SANPIPER PL.
Aircraft Owner City FT. MYERS
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33907
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name SUNDOWNERS FLYING CLUB
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 808 S.E. 46 LANE SUITE-4
Operator City CAPE CORAL
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33904
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 FMY
Departure City FT. MYERS
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 720
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code TLH
Destination City TALLAHASSEE
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Unknown
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
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 --