Piper PA-46-310P accident near Naylor, Missouri, May 27, 1990
On May 27, 1990 at about 3:34 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N22EK, was destroyed in an accident near Naylor, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ACTIVATE THE PITOT HEAT BEFORE FLYING IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) ABOVE THE FREEZING LEVEL, FOLLOWED BY HIS IMPROPER RESPONSE TO ERRONEOUS AIRSPEED INDICATIONS THAT RESULTED FROM BLOCKAGE OF THE PITOT TUBE BY ATMOSPHERIC ICING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 1990 · about 3:34 pm local time
- Place
- Naylor, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N22EK · no longer on the register · serial 46-8508024
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TKOF, THE PLT RCVD PROGRESSIVE ALT CLNCS TO FL200. WHILE CRUISING AT FL200, HE RPRTD 'MODERATE CHOP.' AT ABT 1125 CDT, HE REQD & RCVD CLNC TO FL220. ABT 3 MIN LTR, HE INQUIRED ABT CLD TOPS & SAID HE WAS 'IN A LAYER RIGHT NOW AT ABOUT FLIGHT LEVEL 200 TO 210.' SOON THEREAFTER, THE ACFT BGN ALT DEVIATIONS & WENT ABV THE ASSIGNED ALT OF FL220 (22,000'). IT THEN DSCNDD TO ABT 20,500', WHERE IT PITCHED UP TO AN ALT OF ABT 23,000'. THE ACFT THEN WENT INTO A STEEP DSCNT. SUBSEQUENTLY, AN IN-FLT BREAKUP OF THE ACFT OCCURRED AT ABT THE TIME IT EMERGED FM THE CLDS NR THE 2000 FT LVL. PIECES OF WRECKAGE WERE FND OVR A WIDE AREA. THE LEFT WING WAS FND ABT .2 MI FM THE FUSELAGE; PIECES OF THE RUDDER & STABILIZERS WERE FND ABT 100 YDS FM THE FUSELAGE. AN EXAM OF THE FRACTURES ON MAJOR STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS REVEALED FEATURES TYPICAL OF OVERSTRESS SEPN. NO PREEXISTING CRACKS WERE FND. AN AREA FORECAST HAD FLT PRCTNS FOR IFR, TSTMS, ICING IN THE VCNTY OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. THE PITOT HEAT SW WAS FND IN THE 'OFF' PSN. (SEE: NTSB/SIR-92/03)
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,603 hours in all; 182 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520-BE1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UOS Sewanee TN at 3:00 pm
- Destination: SGF Springfield MO
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,100 ft; scat at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from CGI, 61 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.