- Date
- July 21, 1986, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Topsail Beach, NC
- Injuries
- 3 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7059RPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860721035459A
- Case key
- 7152
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
The plt was on a x-country flt from new york state to Florida with a planned refueling stop at wilmington, NC. He reported that he became disoriented when the acft's VOR needle began wavering, about 28 miles north of wilmington. Also, he stated that he no longer felt comfortable in the air and decided to land. A precautionary landing was made on a desolate section of the Beach where the acft encountered soft sand & flipped inverted. No mechanical problem of the acft was verified. At the time of the accident, the visibility was estimated to be 3 miles due to haze.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7059R
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-21758
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert R. Diaz
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- POU · Poughkeepsie, NY
- Destination
- ILM · Wilmington, NC
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ILM, 13 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.