- Date
- December 24, 1986, 15:43 local (21:43 UTC)
- Place
- Mobile, AL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3577UPiper PA-34-200T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861224072339A
- Case key
- 7362
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 had suspected a hydraulic problem prior to departure when hydraulic fluid was found on the hangar floor. The acft was flown to a nearby arpt for repairs. The acft then departed and aprx 1 hr into the flt a heater problem was experienced. The plt corrected this problem and the flt continued at 11,000 ft. the plt requested a lower alt upon nearing Mobile and ATC approval was received to descend in stages. At 2,000 ft, the plt reported a failure of both engines. Remedial action was attempted, however, pwr was not restored. The acft was substantially damaged during the gear up forced landing which followed. During wreckage recovery, 49 gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank and the left tank was found empty. A test prop was installed, fuel was added and both engines were started. The engines performed without incident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3577U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 348070100
- Airframe hours
- 1,673
- Engine
- Continental L/TS10360EB1, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Executive Air Charter
- Registered owner
- Seneca Leasing, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CLL · College Station, TX
- Destination
- MOD · Mobile, AL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MOB · Bates Field
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
- 55
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,828 total · 36 in this make and model · 3,828 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,600 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MOB, 12 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.