- Date
- December 30, 1986, 02:54 local (07:54 UTC)
- Place
- Merrillville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N74NLPiper PA-31T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 11, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861230069649A
- Case key
- 13627
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 acft was enroute to the chicago midway arpt. While letting down to 16000 ft the pilot reported he was shutting down the right eng. ARTCC cleared the acft to 5000 ft. ten minutes later ARTCC lost radio transponder and mode c contact. 15 minutes later the acft descended out of the 1800 ft overcast and struck a 170 ft utility tower at the 150 ft level. The acft then ground impacted and burned. Investigation revealed that the rt engine had a bearing failure due to lack of lubrication.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74NL
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 7720010
- Airframe hours
- 6,888
- Engine
- P&W PT-6A-28, 620 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Wright Int'L Express Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 7, 1986 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- SDF · Louisville, KY
- Destination
- MDW · Chicago, IL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,170 total · 140 in this make and model · 2,110 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 330° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MDW, 28 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.