- Date
- February 12, 1989, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Huntersville, NC
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5112YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890212006729A
- Case key
- 7987
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Fire resulting from an oil leak of undetermined origin in the area of the left engine.
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 reported that blue smoke and oil were observed trailing from the left engine and wing during approach. Shortly thereafter, flames were observed coming from the left engine nacelle. The cabin filled with smoke, and an emergency ldg was made. The left wing broke off during rollout. The airplane was consumed by the fire shortly after coming to stop. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage; he reported that the extent of the fire damage precluded determination of the exact source of the fire. He noted that he found oil-soaked paint chips along the airplane flight path about 900 ft before the touch down point.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5112Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2140
- Airframe hours
- 1,787
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Both
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Cross Motor Company
- Registered owner
- Cross Motor Company
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 1987 · 23 hours before
- Airport
- NC05 · Bradfprd, runway 6, 3,850 × 150 ft, grass/turf
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 7,250 total · 800 in this make and model · 7,000 as pilot in command · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5112Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.