- Date
- August 1, 1987, 14:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Imperial, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 3 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N5998YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870801040259A
- Case key
- 22265
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
After takeoff, the plt elected to fly low over a reservoir. He stated that as he began a pass, not FAR from the water's edge, the acft enctrd a sink. He said he ' . . . Checked power, all ok, plane just seemed to lose all lift . . .' Subsequently, the acft struck the water, crashed & began sinking. Five occupants egressed from the acft; the 6th received fatal injuries. Witnesses saw the acft flying at a very low alt over the water before the plane crashed. They rprtd that on previous occasions, the plt had made low passes over the reservoir in the same manner. The plt's last med cert was dated 11/16/84; the acft's last annual inspn was dated 8/15/84. Drg a weight & balance check, the acft's CG was estimated to have been .2 inch behind the aft limit.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5998Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-3172
- Airframe hours
- 4,497
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Albert L. Gandy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 1984 · 129 hours before
- Departed
- Grand Falls, TX
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Expired
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 375 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MAF, 75 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.
Other investigations on N5998Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.