# NTSB ERA27LA007: Piper PA-32-260, N31RF, Whiteville, NC, October 7, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Limited investigation · Investigation open
- Date: October 7, 2026, 20:30, time zone not recorded
- Place: Whiteville, NC
- Location: 34.3305° N, 78.7014° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Whiteville, NC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.3305&lon=-78.7014&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Emergency descent](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/600) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203967
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA27LA007
- Latest NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203967/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA27LA007

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-32-260, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7103206), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N31RF](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31RF), registered now, S/N 32-7700023 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-260
- Registry model: [Piper PA-32-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (registry code 7103206) (OpenAirDocs)
- Operator: Legend48 LLC
- Registered owner: Legend48 LLC

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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