Piper PA-28-180 N3995R

Summary

On 21 April 1995 at about 21:03 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N3995R was involved in an accident near Quincy, Florida, United States. 5 people were on board and 5 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 April 1995 at 21:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Quincy, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Quincy Municipal (2J9)

Coordinates

30.5809, -84.5809

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N3995R

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Arlington

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA95FA115

5 people died.

AN UNDETERMINED FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN A FUEL LEAK, AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, AND A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING. AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM THE FRACTURE OF AN IMPROPERLY WELDED BAFFLE TUBE MAY HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF IGNITION FOR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS HEARD TO PERFORM AN ENGINE RUN-UP BEFORE DEPARTURE. THE FLIGHT THEN DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TANKS AND ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200-300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. A WITNESS NEAR THE CRASH SITE OBSERVED BLACK SMOKE TRAILING THE ENGINE AREA, AND ANOTHER WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE 'BACKFIRING AND SPUTTERING.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND WHILE DESCENDING, AND A POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REVEALED SEVERE (FIRE) DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL ADJACENT TO THE 2 ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS AND GASCOLATOR, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT (INTERNAL) ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED THAT THE #1 CYLINDER BAFFLE TUBE HAD FAILED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ALONG A WELD AT THE END PLATE OF THE MUFFLER WITH EVIDENCE OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. ALSO, CARBON MONOXIDE WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT AND TWO OF THE PASSENGERS; ALTHOUGH, NO EVIDENCE OF SOOT DEPOSITION OR BURNING OF THE LARYNX WAS NOTED IN ANY OF THE FIVE OCCUPANTS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.