VILLE PLATTE, LA, USA
N21537
PIPER PA-28-181
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%.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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