Piper PA-34-200T N8300T

Summary

On 21 March 1984 at about 03:05 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T registered N8300T, operated by Flight Unlimited, Inc., was involved in an accident near Fletcher, North Carolina, United States. 6 people were on board and one died, 5 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

21 March 1984 at 03:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Fletcher, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Asheville (AVL)

Coordinates

35.1806, -83.3805

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200T

Registration

N8300T

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Flight Unlimited, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Arden → Raleigh

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL84FA126

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING TAKEOFF THE LEFT ENG LOST POWER SHORTLY AFTER THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE PLT STATED THAT HE FELT THE LOSS OF POWER AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT HE TURNED OFF THE LANDING LIGHTS. WITH THE LEFT ENG MANIFOLD PRESSURE GAUGE READING 25 INCHES HG, THE PLT BELIEVED HE WAS RECEIVING SOME POWER FROM THAT ENG & DID NOT FEATHER THAT PROP. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED IN TREES AFTER IT TURNED TO A HEADING OF ABOUT 035 DEG. THE AREA SURROUNDING THE AIRPORT IS WOODED WITH RISING HILLS. AN INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED THAT THE ACFT WAS LOADED AT OR ABOVE ITS MAX GROSS WEIGHT LIMIT, & THAT THE CG WAS AFT OF THE REAR LIMIT. AN EXAM OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED THAT THE LEFT ENG MAG SWITCHES, LOCATED IMMEDIATELY ABOVE THE LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES, WERE IN THE 'OFF' POSITION & THAT THE LANDING LIGHT SWITCHES WERE IN THE 'ON' POSITION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.