SALEM, OR, USA
N8103P
PIPER PA-24-250
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PLT WAS ADZD OF A CURRENT AIRMET FOR THE AREA WITH PRECAUTIONS FOR OCNL MDT TURBC BELOW 14,000' & MTN OBSCN. OCNL MDT RIME OR MIXED ICING WAS FORECAST FOR THE AREA AS WELL AS RAIN SHOWER ACTIVITY. WHEN THE PLT OPENED A VFR FLT PLAN AFTER TAKEOFF, HE WAS REMINDED OF THE PRECAUTIONS & AIRMET FOR TURBC & ICING. AS THE FLT CONTD, THE PLT ADZD HE WOULD BE CLIMBING TO 11,500' MSL. A FEW MIN LATER, HE ADZD HE WOULD DEVIATE FROM COURSE TO 'REMAIN VFR ON THESE CLOUDS.' THERE WAS NO FURTHER COM WITH THE ACFT. WITNESSES ON THE GND HEARD A LOUD BANG, THEN SAW THE ACFT DSCND BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER IN A SPIRAL WITH PIECES SEPG. WRECKAGE WAS SCATTERED OVER A 1/2 AREA. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT BOTH OUTBOARD SECTIONS OF THE WINGS SEPD UPWARD & REARWARD, WHILE THE HORIZONTAL STABILATOR SEPD DOWNWARD IN FLT. THE INVESTIGATION DID NOT VERIFY WHICH MODE OF FLT THE ACFT WAS IN, WHEN THE IN-FLT BREAKUP OCCURRED.
THE PILOT ALLOWED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE EXCEEDED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT CONCERNED INADVERTENT FLIGHT BY THE PILOT INTO KNOWN ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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