Airplane Crash

NTSB Identification: FTW83FA424 .
The docket is stored on NTSB microfiche number 21677.
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Sunday, September 11, 1983 in PLAINVIEW, TX
Aircraft: PARTENAVIA P68C, registration: N29561
Injuries: 1 Fatal.

THE PLT WAS EXECUTING A HIGH SPEED PASS OVER THE RWY AT ABOUT 250 FT AGL. THE PLT THEN BEGAN A RAPID PULL-UP & BOTH WINGS SEPARATED JUST OUTBOARD OF THE ENG NACELLES. RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SEQUENCE FROM A VIDEOTAPE REVEALED THAT THE ACFT'S SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE WING SEPARATIONS WAS 220 KTS. VNE FOR THE ACFT IS 193 KTS. IT WAS CALCULATED THAT, AT 220 KTS & AN 8 DEG NOSE-UP PITCH, THE 'G' LOAD AT THE TIME OF THE WING SEPARATIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN 8.3 G'S.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:

IN-FLIGHT PLANNING / DECISION.. IMPROPER.. PILOT IN COMMAND
OVERCONFIDENCE IN AIRCRAFT'S ABILITY.. PILOT IN COMMAND
AIRSPEED.. EXCEEDED..PILOT IN COMMAND
WING..OVERLOAD
DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF AIRCRAFT.. EXCEEDED.. PILOT IN COMMAND

Contributing Factors
WING.. FAILURE, TOTAL
WING.. SEPARATION

here comes a really dumb question did the pilot really die?

Imagine you falling, imagine you in that plane. Diving face down, it S**ks .

I was seven years old and watching the airshow with my father. I ran over to the accident and have a polaroid of the plane just after it crashed, before the fire dept arrived.

The pilot was performing maneuvers not suitable for the aircraft.

I'm not an aviation expert in any sense of the word, but I would guess that the pilot exceeded some rated stress level for that model of plane? The fact that both wings snapped off at the same time would indicate this. It kinda looks like he was trying to climb at the time of the accident. Too much speed for that angle, perhaps? Still...a real tragedy.

...the wings fell off, the plane crashed, and at least one person died.

what tha hell jus happened?

I looks like it flew in between 2 ufos...the chances of the wings tearing of at the same time are extreamly rare. Its like winning the lottery 3 times in a row. And the doubles if theres no stress on the wings. In this case the pilot was flying straight at which point there was little stress...put into the file as unexplained!

The pilot walked away without a scratch.