- Date
- August 20, 1984, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Vero Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4371YPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 31010
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
On post-production test flt, plt noted symptoms of uncommanded lean mixture and turned to return for landing. En route to airport, eng lost pwr completely. On base leg for forced landing (off airport) fire broke out in eng area and burned through hydraulic line causing gear to extend. Due to increased gliide angle, planned flt path would not clear obstruction (draw bridge). When the plt maneuvered to avoid the obstacle, the acft stalled, mushed and collided with a boat dock. Investigation revealed a loose fuel line fitting.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4371Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46-8408082
- Airframe hours
- 1
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-520-BE, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Piper Aircraft Corporation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · August 20, 1984 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,694 total · 137 in this make and model · 1,126 as pilot in command · 252 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB