Piper PA46-500TP accident near Rock Springs, Wyoming, May 3, 2011
On May 3, 2011 at about 11:40 pm local time, a Piper PA46-500TP, registered N46ME, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Rock Springs, Wyoming (Rock Springs airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The overstress fracture of the right aileron midspan hinge bracket due to modal vibrations created by a deflated right main landing gear tire during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 2011 · about 11:40 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Springs, Wyoming · Rock Springs · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46-500TP · all PA46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N46ME · registry record · serial 4697207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff roll, as the airplane approached 70 knots, it started slowly pulling to the right. The pilot immediately aborted the takeoff and stopped the airplane on the runway using brakes and reverse propeller thrust. The pilot inspected the airplane and found that the right main landing gear tire had blown, and the right aileron had buckled at the aileron midspan hinge location. There were no scuff marks or indentations to indicate that the hinge or area around the hinge had been struck by debris. The hinge was still attached to the aileron, but the attach bracket that connected the hinge to the wing had fractured. Metallurgical examination revealed that the failure of the hinge bracket was the result of overstress forces applied to the hinge. Overstress failure of only the midspan hinge is somewhat unusual when none of the other hinges were damaged, which suggests modal vibration forces concentrated at this particular hinge. It is likely that the flat tire could have induced the vibratory mode in the aileron at the midspan hinge.
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
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Ailerons › Damaged/degraded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main landing gear › Not specified
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Tire casing › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,150 hours in all; 1,980 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 11,850 as pilot in command; 4,075 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 18, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 472 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 5,134 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A SER (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KRKS Rock Springs WY at 11:40 pm
- Destination: KBFI Seattle WA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 27, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 pm from KRKS
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.