- Date
- October 20, 1986, 08:10 local (13:10 UTC)
- Place
- Nashville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5260FPiper PA-32R-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861020049529A
- Case key
- 7261
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 flight was cleared for the localizer approach to rwy 31. The pilot reported the airport in sight. The flight descended into the cloud layer and crashed about 1000 feet short of the middle marker. The pilot did not report any aircraft problem. The approach mda is 1040 feet. There was no reported ceiling and there was a .25 mile visibility. The pilot was not instrument qualified.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5260F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7680500
- Airframe hours
- 1,148
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1650, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Emert Mobile Homes
- Registered owner
- Emert Mobile Home
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 20, 1986 · 4 hours before
- Departed
- Knoxville, TN
- Destination
- Nashville, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BNA · Nashville, runway 35, 8,500 × 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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 927 total · 600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BNA
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.