Piper PA-60-600 N7488S
1 March 1991 · Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 1 March 1991 at about 22:55 local time, a Piper PA-60-600 registered N7488S, operated by Lawrence R. Edwards, was involved in an accident near Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 22:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-600
- Registration
- N7488S
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Lawrence R. Edwards
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Fort Smith → Vicksburg
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW91FA045
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE PILOT'S OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES IN EQUIPMENT. FACTORS WERE THE IMPROPER OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINES BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL RESULTING IN OIL LOSS, DETERIORATED ENGINE PERFORMANCE, AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT OF THE MULTI-ENGINE AIRCRAFT REPORTED THAT HIS RIGHT ENGINE WAS LOSING OIL AS HE WAS CLIMBING TO CRUISE ALTITUDE. HE SECURED THE ENGINE, FEATHERED THE PROPELLER, AND MANEUVERED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT TRIMMED THE AIRCRAFT FOR SINGLE ENGINE OPERATION AND EXTENDED THE MAIN LANDING GEAR. DURING THE APPROACH, THE OPERATING LEFT ENGINE WOULD NOT DEVELOP FULL POWER AND THE PILOT REPORTED TO ATC THAT HE COULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS EMERGENCY DESCENT, IMPACTED TREES, AND DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED THROUGH A DENSELY WOODED AREA. A FUEL TANK RUPTURED DURING THE UNCONTROLLED DESCENT THROUGH THE TREES AND A FIRE/EXPLOSION OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO BURN AFTER GROUND IMPACT. BOTH ENGINES WERE DISASSEMBLED AND NUMEROUS MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE FOUND. THEY HAD BEEN RECENTLY OVERHAULED. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT SINCE THE ENGINE OVERHAULS. THE PILOT/OWNER WAS EN ROUTE TO SELL THE AIRCRAFT WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-60 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 1991 | Piper PA-60-601P | North Salem, New York, United States | English Aero Services, Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Feb 1991 | Piper PA-60-600 | Cochran, Georgia, United States | Top Flight Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 20 Sep 1991 | Piper PA-60-602P | Pago Pago, American Samoa | Apollo Air P/L | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 1992 | Piper PA-60-602P | Georgetown, Delaware, United States | Clifford J. Turner | Fatal | 3 |
| 19 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-60-700P | Coalinga, California, United States | Trustee, Nils P. | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1992 | Piper PA-60-602P | Danbury, Connecticut, United States | Robert N. Chester | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Jul 1991 | Cessna 150 | Searcy, Arkansas, United States | Search Aviation, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Oct 1991 | Piper PA-28 | Berryville, Arkansas, United States | Snider, Richard D. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 1991 | Hughes 269A-1 | No. Little Rock, Arkansas, United States | North Little Rock Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 23 Aug 1991 | Cessna 140 | Ward, Arkansas, United States | Martin D. Odum | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 1991 | Cessna 172K | Fisher, Arkansas, United States | Herbert D. Ziegenhorn | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 1991 | Cessna 150G | Benton, Arkansas, United States | John Wells | Serious injuries | - |