Piper PA-24-250 N5596P

Summary

On 20 April 1987 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N5596P was involved in an accident near Catalina, California, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 April 1987 at 02:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Catalina, California, United States

Coordinates

33.3805, -118.4498

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N5596P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Catalina → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX87LA184

3 people had minor injuries.

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

JUST AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE ACFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE SEVERELY WITH THE ENGINE DEVELOPING PARTIAL POWER. THE ACFT WOULD NOT CLIMB AND THE PLT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 100 FPM DESCENT. UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, THE PLT DITCHED THE ACFT IN THE OCEAN. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER BLADES EXHIBITED LEADING EDGE DAMAGE ALONG THE OUTBOARD 4-5 INCHES WITH SOME POLISHING OF THE CAMBERED SIDE. ONE BLADE WAS BENT FORWARD AND MISSING APRX 4 INCHES OF THE TIP. APRX ONE INCH FURTHER WAS A GOUGE ON THE LEADING EDGE. THE OTHER BLADE WAS BENT REARWARD. ON THE LEADING EDGE APRX 4 INCHES FROM THE TIP WAS A GOUGE AND CRACK APRX ONE INCH LONG. THE ENGINE CONTAINED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RUST AND CORROSION FROM BEING IN CONTACT WITH SALT WATER. NO OTHER MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTIONS COULD BE NOTED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.