- Date
- August 30, 1987, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Myrtle Beach, SC
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6094ZPiper PA-25
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870830048559A
- Case key
- 7508
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
After about 45 mntes into the flight, the pilot noticed a drop in engine oil pressure when he decided to return to the airport. The cabin filled with smoke, and the engine continued to lose power. The pilot had no choice but to ditch. The wreckage examiniation disclosed that, no. 4 cylinder was cracked in the spark plug hole which traveled towards the exhaust port. The pilot reported that automotive fuel was used for this flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6094Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25108
- Airframe hours
- 2,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- O'K Aviation Salvage
- Registered owner
- O.K. Aviation Salvage
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 25, 1987 · 17 hours before
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
- 41
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,539 total · 14 in this make and model · 1,475 as pilot in command · 271 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRE
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.