Piper PA-28-140 N5385F

Summary

On 6 May 1984 at about 22:27 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N5385F was involved in an accident near North Andover, Massachusetts, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

6 May 1984 at 22:27

Classification

Accident

Location

North Andover, Massachusetts, United States

Nearest airport

Lawrence Muni (LWM)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N5385F

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

North Andover → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC84FA159

Nobody was injured.

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

THE PLT STATED TO POLICE THAT HE WAS POSITIONING THE PROP FOR A PHOTO WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED 2500 FT UNATTENDED ACROSS THE ARPT BEFORE IT BECAME AIRBORNE AND STRUCK THE REAR OF A COMMERCIAL BLDG THAT HOUSED THREE BUSINESSES, INCLUDING AN AUTO BODY SHOP. THREE OCCUPANTS OF THE BLDG EVACUATED WITHOUT INJURY. THE AIRPLANE AND BLDG WERE DESTROYED BY IMPACT, EXPLOSION, AND FIRE THAT WAS FED BY ACFT FUEL AND FLAMMABLES IN THE BLDG. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT RVLD THAT THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CNTRLS WERE IN THE OPEN POSITION; HOWEVER, EXTENSIVE FIRE DAMAGE PRECLUDED AN EXAM OF THE IGNITION SWITCH, PARKING BRAKE, OR BATTERY. THE CHOCKS AND TIE DOWN ROPES HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. THE STUDENT PLT/OWNER OF N5385F REFUSED TO MAKE A STATEMENT TO NTSB PERSONNEL.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.