- Date
- June 16, 1986, 15:58 local (19:58 UTC)
- Place
- Apex, NC
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5447WPiper PA-28-160
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 7131
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
This was the first flight for the passenger. After about one and one-half hours en route the weather ahead deteriorated and the pilot turned to return to the departure point. Weather prevented a landing there so he turned to another airport. It too was in an area of weather which prevented a landing. The pilot then turned to another airport which also was in an area of low weather. The pilot then reported that he was low on fuel and would attempt to reach another airport. The engine quit and he was unable to reach a suitable landing area, he crashed in a heavily wooded area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5447W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28524
- Airframe hours
- 2,597
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- T.A. Harris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 2, 1986 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- W17 · Knightdale, NC
- Destination
- Chattanooga, TN
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 99 total · 35 in this make and model · 51 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RDU, 10 nm away