THE ACFT CRASHED WHILE ON A FLT IN AN AREA WHERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS WERE IN EFFECT. THERE WERE NO KNOWN WITNESSES TO THE ACTUAL CRASH, BUT 2 OR 3 LOCAL RESIDENTS HEARD AN ACFT ENG AT ABOUT THE ESTIMATED TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ONE RESIDENT ABOUT 1/4 MI FROM THE CRASH SITE STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENG APRX 5 MIN AFTER A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM BEGAN. HE STATED THAT ABOUT 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL IN 20 MIN, VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED & THERE WAS 'VERY HI WINDS.' A LOCAL RADIO STATION AT HASKELL, TX RECORDED WINDS OF 54 MPH DURING THE THUNDERSTORM. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE ACFT'S RIGHT WING & BOTH HORIZONTAL STABILATORS HAD SEPARATED IN FLT, THEN THE ACFT CRASHED IN A 70 TO 80 DEG NOSE DOWN, INVERTED, LEFT WING LOW ATTITUDE WHILE AT A HI RATE OF SPEED. THE WING & STABILATOR FAILURES WERE INDICATIVE OF OVERLOAD SEPARATION. ONE OF THE 5 OCCUPANTS IN THE 4 PLACE ACFT WAS A BABY.

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:

Contributing Factors

PLANNING/DECISION..IMPROPER..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..THUNDERSTORM

Contributing Factors

LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT TIME..PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..RAIN

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..HIGH WIND

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..TURBULENCE(THUNDERSTORMS)

Contributing Factors

WEATHER CONDITION..OBSCURATION

Index for May1983 | Index of months