# NTSB ATL93LA072: Piper PA-23-250, N878D, Elizabethton, TN, April 15, 1993

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: April 15, 1993, 09:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place: Elizabethton, TN
- Location: 36.3572° N, 82.1708° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from WILLIAM B GREENE JR RGNL (0A9), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3572&lon=-82.1708&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- Status: Completed, report November 3, 1993
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 8735
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL93LA072
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/8735/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL93LA072

## Probable cause

A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON ONE ENGINE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Loss of engine power, cruise
  - 1 engine
  - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause)
- Forced landing, descent - emergency
- In flight collision with object, descent - emergency
  - object - tree(s)

## Analysis

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE ENGINE ALSO DEVELOPED AN UNUSUAL SMELL AND THE CYLINDER HEAD TEMP WAS HIGH. AFTER EVALUATING THE SITUATION, THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENGINE, CHANGED HIS DESTINATION AIRPORT AND ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO A MORE SUITABLE AIRPORT FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AS THE FLIGHT CONTINUED, ALTITUDE BECAME MORE DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN. THE AIRPLANE CRASHED SHORT OF THE AIRPORT AND BURST INTO FLAMES; THE PILOT ESCAPED FROM THE WRECKAGE BEFORE THE AIRPLANE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL PROBLEM, BECAUSE THE ENTIRE AIRFRAME WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N878D](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N878D-1993-10-06), registration cancelled 1993-10-06, S/N 277754099 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23-250
- Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 27-7754099
- Airframe hours: 2684
- Engines: LYCOMING IO-540 C485 250 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Morristown Flying Service
- Registered owner: Morristown Flying Service
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, January 31, 1993, 49 hours before
- Departed: MOR, MORRISTOWN, TN
- Destination: 0A4, JOHNSON CITY, TN
- Airport: 0A9, Elizabethon Municipal, runway 6, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 47; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 2,304 total, 792 in this make and model, 2,176 as pilot in command, 37 in the last 90 days, 30 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Day
- Wind: 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 14,000 ft broken
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observed at: OA9, 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 (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19930415009439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930415009439A), Apr 15, 1993: Piper PA23250, Elizabethton, TN, Destroyed. Rough left engine. High temp. Shutdown. Diverted to alternate. Unable hold altitude. Crashed, burst into flames.

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.