# NTSB DCA83AA025: Piper PA-23, N1236P, Gaithersburg, MD, May 7, 1983

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Final report
- Date: May 7, 1983, 18:33 local (22:33 UTC)
- Place: Gaithersburg, MD
- Location: 39.1686° N, 77.1847° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from MONTGOMERY COUNTY AIRPARK (GAI), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.1686&lon=-77.1847&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Unknown](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/990) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 3 fatal
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office: Major Investigations Division
- NTSB case key (mKey): 15783
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=DCA83AA025
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/15783/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA83AA025

## Sequence of events

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

- Loss of engine power, unknown
  - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause)
- Loss of control - in flight, approach - vfr pattern - final approach
  - airspeed(vmc) - not maintained, pilot in command (cause)
- In flight collision with terrain/water, descent - uncontrolled

## Analysis

THE OWNER/PLT WAS ON A FLT, ACCOMPANIED BY TWO NEPHEWS, AGES 19 & 8 YRS OLD. AN ASSOCIATE OF THE OWNER/PLT REPORTED THAT THE 19 YR OLD NEPHEW, WHO OCCUPIED THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT, WAS A SINGLE ENG PLT, BUT HAD NO MULTI-ENG INSTRUCTION. HOWEVER, NO FAA RECORDS WERE FOUND TO VERIFY THAT THE NEPHEW WAS A PLT. ABOUT 5 MI NORTH OF THE DESTINATION (MONTGOMERY CO ARPT), 2 GROUND WITNESSES, WHO WERE BOTH PLTS, SAW A PIPER APACHE IN LEVEL FLT AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL WITH THE RIGHT PROP FEATHERED. AFTER THEY TOOK OFF IN THEIR ACFT, THEY TUNED IN THE MONTGOMERY CO ADVISORY FREQ TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE APACHE. THEY HEARD THE PLT OF AN APACHE REPORT ON DOWNWIND, BUT HEARD NO MENTION OF AN ENG PROBLEM OR AN EMERGENCY. WITNESSES ON THE ARPT & UNDER THE BASE LEG FOR RWY 14 OBSERVED THE APACHE TURN TO FINAL APCH WITH THE RIGHT PROP FEATHERED. THE ACFT THEN ROLLED INTO A RIGHT DESCENDING NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE & CRASHED IN A STEEPDESCENT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FND. DRG MED EXAM ON 8/12/82, THE PLT RPRTD 1200 HRS TOTAL TIME.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N1236P (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-23
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 23-257
- Engines: LYCOMING IO-320-A3B 150 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Operator: Henry J. Zoranski
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, November 1, 1982
- Departed: 2W2, WESTMINSTER, MD
- Destination: GAI
- Airport: GAI, Montgomery County Airpark, runway 14, 4,200 ×  ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,200 total

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 160° at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: BWI, 23 nm away

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.

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