Piper PA36-400 accident near Temple, Oklahoma, March 22, 1990
On March 22, 1990 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA36-400, registered N2331X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Temple, Oklahoma. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF AN AILERON ATTACHMENT (BOLT) DUE TO FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1990 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Temple, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA36-400 · all PA36-400s on the register
- Registration
- N2331X · registry record · serial 36-8202004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AG PILOT WAS SPRAYING WHEN HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE AND IT IMPACTED NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW, IN A FIELD. THE PILOT SAID HE HAD LOST AILERON CONTROL, AND DURING THE INVESTIGATION, A BOLT THAT HAD BEEN CONNECTING THE AILERON TORQUE TUBE TO A PLATE ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN FRACTURED DUE TO 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 4,993 hours in all; 3,369 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 4,937 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: ctr
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 737 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1989; 105 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-720-DIC (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:58 am from LAW
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.
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.