HASKELL, TX, USA
N5170S
PIPER PA-28-180
THE ACFT CRASHED WHILE ON A FLT IN AN AREA WHERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE IN EFFECT. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACTUAL CRASH, BUT 2 OR 3 LOCAL RESIDENTS HEARD AN ACFT ENG AT ABOUT THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ONE RESIDENT ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE CRASH SITE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENG APRX 5 MIN AFTER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BEGAN. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN 20 MIN, VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED & THERE WAS 'VERY HI WINDS.' A LOCAL RADIO STATION AT HASKELL, TX RECORDED WINDS OF 54 MPH DURING THE THUNDERSTORM. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT'S RIGHT WING & BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED IN FLT, THEN THE ACFT CRASHED IN A 70 TO 80 DEG NOSE DOWN, INVERTED, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILE AT A HI RATE OF SPEED. THE WING & STABILATOR FAILURES WERE INDICATIVE OF OVERLOAD SEPARATION. ONE OF THE 5 OCCUPANTS IN THE 4 PLACE ACFT WAS A BABY.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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