Piper PA-24-250 accident near Waxhaw, North Carolina, August 14, 1991
On August 14, 1991 at about 3:47 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6262P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waxhaw, North Carolina (Aero Plantation airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SPATIAL DISORIENTATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT IN IMC, HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL, AND THE EXCEEDING OF THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT. FACTOR(S) IN THIS ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT PLANNING, THE VFR FLIGHT INTO IMC, HIS POOR JUDGEMENT, HIS OVERCONFIDENCE IN HIS PERSONAL ABILITY, AND HIS LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN INSTRUMENT FLYING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1991 · about 3:47 pm local time
- Place
- Waxhaw, North Carolina · Aero Plantation · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6262P · no longer on the register · serial 241370
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PILOT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WEATHER AT HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS IFR, HOWEVER HE ELECTED TO COMMENCE THE FLIGHT UNDER A VFR FLIGHT PLAN. WHILE FLYING BETWEEN CLOUD LAYERS EN ROUTE, THE WEATHER DETERIORATED, AND HE ENTERED IMC. WHILE BEING VECTORED TOWARD BETTER WEATHER CONDITIONS, HE BECAME DISORIENTED, AND ENTERED A HIGH SPEED DIVE. DURING THE RECOVERY FROM THE DIVE, APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF THE STABILATOR SEPARATED FROM THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE TO A NEARBY PRIVATE AIRPORT. HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE HARD ON THE GRASS ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY. AN INSPECTION OF THE STABILATOR SURFACES REVEALED A POSITIVE 'G' OVERLOAD FAILURE; THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF METAL FATIGUE.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,098 hours in all; 316 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3,098 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,706 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1991; 69 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 12:03 pm
- Destination: HKY Hickory NC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 6, 2,400 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from CLT, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N6262P the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.