Piper PA-31-310 N7451L

Summary

On 6 March 1996 at about 20:22 local time, a Piper PA-31-310 registered N7451L was involved in an incident near Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. 5 people were on board and one died. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 March 1996 at 20:22

Classification

Incident

Location

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Charlotte/Douglas Intl (CLT)

Coordinates

35.2304, -80.9091

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-310

Registration

N7451L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Corinth → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Not recorded

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA96IA094

1 person died.

fatal incapacitation of the pilot due to a heart attack.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During flight, one of the passengers (a single engine rated pilot) was seated in the right front seat. After arriving at the destination, the pilot initiated an ILS approach; however, before landing, a full deflection of the localizer CDI was noted, and the pilot executed a go-around. The pilot rated passenger stated that about 15 seconds later, the pilot released the control yoke, rested against his own seat back, and began to have convulsions. The pilot rated passenger began flying the airplane and advised ATC of the situation. The controller vectored the flight for landing, and the pilot rated passenger was initially unable to release the autopilot. At one point during the flight, the pilot's hand pulled the left engine mixture control to the idle cutoff position, but engine power was restored after the pilot rated passenger repositioned the mixture control. The pilot rated passenger landed the airplane; however, during the landing roll, he did not have access to the airplane's brake system. The airplane rolled off the left side of the runway onto grass, but was not damaged. Subsequently, the pilot was pronounced dead. After a post-mortem examination, the cause of death was listed as coronary atherosclerosis/hypertensive heart disease. According to the pilot's wife, he had no previous complaints suggestive of heart disease.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.