The airplane sustained an in-flight structural failure at about 2135 Mountain time, breaking apart and fatally injuring the Flight Instructor and two passengers aboard. Visual conditions prevailed. Witnesses took off behind the accident airplane and observed it in front of them, flying the same basic route. While at 7500 feet, they were below the accident airplane. They observed it turn to the north, and then could not see its lights anymore. They proceeded on course, and encountered several sharp bumps from turbulence east of the accident site. The wreckage was found the next day, covering about 0.6 mile on a heading of 157 degrees. The first identified major piece of wreckage was the right horizontal stabilator. All major portions of the airplane were recovered, with the inverted engine, propeller and fuselage found 2600 feet along the debris path. The stabilators had been permanently deformed in a downward direction while the wings were deformed in an upward direction.
March 7, 2007, Tooele, Utah, Piper PA-28-235
The airplane sustained an in-flight structural failure at about 2135 Mountain time, breaking apart and fatally injuring the Flight Instructor and two passengers aboard. Visual conditions prevailed.Witnesses took off behind the accident airplane and observed it in front of them, flying the same basic route. While at 7500 feet, they were below the accident airplane.
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane sustained an in-flight structural failure at 7500 feet, resulting in the fatal injury of the Flight Instructor and two passengers.
- Witnesses observed the aircraft turn north before its lights disappeared and later encountered severe turbulence east of the accident site.
- Wreckage was found spread over 0.6 mile, with initial findings including the right horizontal stabilator, and key components showing stabilators deformed downward and wings deformed upward.
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