Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ville Platte, Louisiana 70586
Friday, August 12, 1983 9:35 CDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PRIOR TO TAKEOFF THE PLT HAD RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING & WAS ADVISED THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. HE WAS GIVEN CONVECTIVE SIGMET 13C WHICH CALLED FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH TOPS ABOVE 45,000 FT THROUGHOUT HIS ROUTE OF FLT. ABOUT 25 MINAFTER TAKEOFF FOUR WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED. TWO STATED THAT THEY SAW THE ACFT IN A TURN AT ABOUT 300 FT WHEN A WING SEPARATED. THE OTHER TWO STATED THAT THE WING HAD ALREADY SEPARATED WHEN THEY SAW THE ACFT. A HEAVY THUNDERSTORM WAS IN PROGRESS AT THE TIME. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT THE RIGHT WING HAD FAILED IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION & BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED DOWNWARD. THE PLT'S BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL WAS 0.136%.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/12/1983
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 935
Event Time Zone Central Daylight Time
Event City VILLE PLATTE
Event State LOUISIANA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 70586
Event Date Year 1983
Event Date Month 8
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 10
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Full
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 85 Central Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 150
Weather Observation Facility ID ESF
Elevation of weather observation facility 108
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 50
Time Zone of the weather observation CDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 700
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 700
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) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 280
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
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) 3254
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date --
NTSB Notification Time 0
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 23741
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Instrument Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N21537
NTSB Number FTW83FA373
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 None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-28-181
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-28-181
Aircraft Serial Number 28-7990053
Certified Max Gross Weight 2500
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 27 1983 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 1740
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Unknown
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AMERICAN AVIATION, INC.
Aircraft Owner Street Address RT 1, BOX 207
Aircraft Owner City BROOKSVILLE
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33512
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 Yes - certificate holder
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 9LA6
Departure City ALEXANDRIA
Departure State LA
Departure Country
Departure Time 0
Departure Time Zone
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CEW
Destination City CRESTVIEW
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Maneuvering
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 --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --