Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28R-200 near Ranger, Texas — 2007-11-15

Final reportDFW08FA031
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Date
2007-11-15
Location
Ranger, Texas, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28R-200
Registration
N55307
Category
Airplane

Probable cause

The pilot's intentional performance of aerobatic maneuvers that exceeded the design limits of the airplane structure.

NTSB narrative

On November 15, 2007, a Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow departed Arlington Municipal Airport near Fort Worth, Texas on a VFR cross-country training flight to Abilene with a certified flight instructor and two student pilots aboard. During the cruise phase of the flight near Ranger, Texas, radar data revealed a series of aggressive pitch maneuvers in which the aircraft repeatedly exceeded its maximum maneuvering speed of 116 knots, reaching 134 knots calibrated airspeed on the final maneuver. The aircraft suffered an inflight structural breakup, scattering debris over an area one mile long by half a mile wide. All three occupants were killed. The aircraft was a 1973 model that had passed an annual inspection approximately six weeks prior, with no evidence of pre-existing structural cracks or significant corrosion.

Evidence available

  • ADS-B / radar
  • Photos
  • 25 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents25