- Date
- January 28, 1985, 09:08 local (13:08 UTC)
- Place
- St. Croix
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N555MFPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850128018529A
- Case key
- 31225
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
When starting descent the pilot stated the right eng failed & the propeller feathered by itself. The pilot then switchedthe left fuel tank selector to the left aux tank. Shortly thereafter, the left engine failed. The pilot declared a mayday to St. Croix twr and executed a forced landing to a field on the southeast coast of St. Croix. During the landingroll the wings hit a fence causing substantial damage. A new propeller was put on the right engine after recovery and both engines and propellers performed normally.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N555MF
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-7305007
- Airframe hours
- 3,020
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Dutch West Indies Export Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 25, 1984 · 88 hours before
- Departed
- PJM · St.Maarten, OF
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 34
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,167 total · 918 in this make and model · 3,077 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- STX, 11 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.