- Date
- May 17, 1986, 22:58 local (May 18, 1986, 02:58 UTC)
- Place
- Angola, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N44603Piper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860517017819A
- Case key
- 13257
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
The pilot diverted into Angola, an airfield he had never landed at before, due to an unidentified electrical problem at night. He was given vectors to the airport and reported the field in sight. He then said he was going to circle to lose altitude prior to landing. On visual final approach, he struck the roof of a house and crash landed on a road. He was approx 1 degree below standard glide slope when he struck the house. A large quantity of unsecured personal belongings in the rear of the plane flew forward upon impact. The pilot was not wearing the shoulder harness installed above his seat.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44603
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7450214
- Airframe hours
- 1,369
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Winston B. Cenac
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 14, 1986 · 12 hours before
- Departed
- BTL · Battle Creek, MI
- Destination
- CHA · Chattanooga, TN
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ANG · Tri-State Steuben County, runway 23, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 61
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,352 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,252 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FWA, 45 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.