- Date
- July 26, 1991, 06:15 local (10:15 UTC)
- Place
- Manteo, NC
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N54746Piper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910726030409A
- Case key
- 8332
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
The loss of left engine power for undetermined reasons, and the failure of the pilot to maintain minimum controllable airspeed, which resulted in the stalling of the airplane.
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
Witnesses reported hearing the early morning takeoff, followed by popping and sputtering noises. While maneuvering back to the airfield, the airplane stalled, and collided with the ground at a steep angle. Inspection of the wreckage revealed that the gear and flaps were down, and the left propeller appeared to be feathered. The right engine propeller showed evidence of power at impact. Despite significant post-crash fire damage, no evidence of a mechanical engine failure was found. Continuity was confirmed throughout the flight control system.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54746
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-7554059
- Airframe hours
- 3,299
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Brookfield Aviation, Inc
- Registered owner
- Brookfield Aviation, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000 · 1 hours before
- Destination
- ISP · Islip, NY
- Airport
- MQI · Dare County Regional, runway 22, 3,300 × 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,600 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 79 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MQI, 1 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.