Accident Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage N497CA,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 38393
 
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Date:Sunday 4 April 1999
Time:18:31 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA46 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage
Owner/operator:Robert R. Meredith
Registration: N497CA
MSN: 4636197
Year of manufacture:1999
Total airframe hrs:30 hours
Engine model:Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A
Fatalities:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Waldron, AR -   United States of America
Phase: En route
Nature:Executive
Departure airport:Nashville, TN (KBNA)
Destination airport:Dallas, TX (KADS)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
While in cruise flight at 24,000 feet msl, the pilot of the Piper Malibu Mirage advised Memphis Center that he had encountered icing conditions and was experiencing a fuel imbalance. The pilot requested and was cleared to deviate to the north. Subsequently, radio and radar contact were lost. A witness reported hearing the sound of the airplane's engine stop running and observed the airplane descending from the dark clouds in a nose down attitude and rotating clockwise. Residents of the area reported that the weather at the time of the accident was high ceilings with heavy rain just before and after the accident. There were thunderstorms with lightning in the area at the time of the accident. The wreckage of the airplane was scattered along an area of about four miles. The airplane was equipped with an autopilot, weather radar, and an ice protection system. The pilot had recently purchased the 1999 model airplane and had completed a Mirage initial training course. At the time of the accident the pilot had accumulated a total of 21.4 hours in the make and model of the accident aircraft. No anomalies were found with the airframe or engine that would have prevented normal operation.

Probable Cause: The pilot's encounter with adverse weather and loss of aircraft control, which resulted in exceeding the aircraft's design stress limits. Factors were the pilot's lack of total experience in the make and model of airplane, and the icing and thunderstorm weather conditions.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: FTW99FA104
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years 1 month
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB FTW99FA104

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
24-Oct-2008 10:30 ASN archive Added
21-Dec-2016 19:23 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency]
26-Nov-2017 12:38 ASN Update Bot Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative]
08-Apr-2024 07:42 ASN Update Bot Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report]

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