- Date
- May 31, 1983, 19:11 local (23:11 UTC)
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6103YPiper PA-23C-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830531021399A
- Case key
- 30784
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 crashed shortly after takeoff. According to witnesses, the acft veered to the left losing altitude and suddenlyflipped to the left crashing about 1/2 mile from the arpt in a steep left bank. The landing gear was reported in a down position. An airline plt reported that the acft appeared to be in difficulty after takeoff as it began to porpoise. Apparently the gear was not retracted as the plt fought the acft and as he began a turn to the left. He observed the acft turn completely upside down, point nearly straight down and explode on contact. One witness reported 'the left engine was on fire and I could see smoke also.' The maximum alt attained by the acft was estimated as 55 ft. the post accident examination revealed no evidence of power plant failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6103Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23C-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-3311
- Airframe hours
- 2,904
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lucaya Beach Air Service
- Registered owner
- Gilbert A. Chambers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 19, 1983 · 85 hours before
- Destination
- MYGF · Freeport
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
- Airport
- FLL · Ft. Lauderdale, runway 9R, 5,316 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,205 total · 562 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 13 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Observed at
- FLL
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.