- Date
- March 20, 1984, 22:05 local (Mar 21, 1984, 03:05 UTC)
- Place
- Fletcher, NC
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 5 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8300TPiper PA-34-200T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19840320008139A
- Case key
- 6267
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During takeoff the left eng lost power shortly after the landing gear was retracted. The plt stated that he felt the loss of power at about the same time that he turned off the landing lights. With the left eng manifold pressure gauge reading 25 inches hg, the plt believed he was receiving some power from that eng & did not feather that prop. Subsequently, the acft crashed in trees after it turned to a heading of about 035 deg. The area surrounding the airport is wooded with rising hills. An investigation disclosed that the acft was loaded at or above its max gross weight limit, & that the CG was aft of the rear limit. An exam of the cockpit revealed that the left eng mag switches, located immediately above the landing light switches, were in the 'off' position & that the landing light switches were in the 'on' position.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8300T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2165
- Engine
- Continental L/TSIO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Flight Unlimited, Inc.
- Registered owner
- A. B. C. Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 16, 1984 · 177 hours before
- Departed
- AVL · Arden, NC
- Destination
- RDU · Raleigh, NC
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AVL · Asheville, runway 16, 8,001 × 150 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,075 total · 131 in this make and model · 3,912 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 160° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AVL, 5 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.