- Date
- August 31, 1991, 18:40 local (22:40 UTC)
- Place
- Stockbridge, GA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N44PGPiper PA-23-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910831037669A
- Case key
- 8461
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 pilot's failure to maintain flying speed after experiencing a partial loss of engine power. Factors in this accident were, loose carburetors, annual inspection not performed, and pilot's lack of recent experience.
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
During climbout on a go around, the pilot reported a reduction in right engine power. Reportedly, the pilot maintained a nose high attitude until the airplane stalled and crashed in a nose low attitude adjacent to a single family home. Wreckage examination disclosed that both carburetors were leaking air between the carburetor bowls and throttle bodies. A witness reported reduced power, but the engines continued to operate. The airplane had flown only 2 hours since the last annual inspection on June 20, 1990. The pilot completed a bfr 60 months prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44PG
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-1996
- Airframe hours
- 3,136
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Gilder, Ralph W.
- Registered owner
- Gilder, Ralph W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1990 · 2 hours before
- Airport
- 4A0 · Berry Hill, runway 29, 3,000 × 40 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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 430 total · 100 in this make and model · 390 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 15 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.