- Date
- February 6, 1986, 11:37 local (16:37 UTC)
- Place
- Bismarck, ND
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N55654Piper PA-34-200
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860206002269A
- Case key
- 16806
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 observed descending out of a low ceiling when it suddenly made an abrupt left turn. Engine noise seemed to increase momentarily and then the nose of the acft dropped to a near vertical position. The twin engine acft crashed into a vacant house trailer destroying the acft. Subsequent examination of the wreckage revealed 2 fuel injector nozzles of the left engine were clogged with foreign material and contamination was found in the fuel control unit of the same engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N55654
- Reported as
- Piper PA-34-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 34-7350235
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1E6, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dennis W. Grinaker/Thom Bryon
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 20, 1985 · 51 hours before
- Departed
- BIS · Bismarck, ND
- Destination
- FAR · Fargo, ND
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- BIS · Bismark Municipal, runway 31, 8,788 × 150 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 488 total · 124 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 400 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIS, 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.