- Date
- October 16, 1985, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pensacola, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N5815YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851016073809A
- Case key
- 31468
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 acft headed to destination arpt located 4 miles south. When aprx two miles out, the plt turned back to the departure arpt. Witnesses reported the acft was in a shallow descent, low and fast when it collided with trees and exploded about 1400 ft short of the rwy. The cabin door was found about 40 ft in front of the fuselage. Neither the handle nor the lock plunger were in the 'locked' position. Exam of airframe, powerplants, props, flight controls and fuel systems revealed no evidence of pre-impact malfunction or failure. A vial containing 'tolinase' 250 mg tablets was fouund at the accident site. A physician stated he had treated the plt since 1978 for various illnesses including a history of glycosuria and, as recently as June 1985, had prescribed three tablets of 'tolinase' a day. 14 CFR 61.53 prohibits the operation of acft at any time medication is required.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5815Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2691
- Airframe hours
- 4,005
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C485, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Homer L. Ingram
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 28, 1981 · 1,400 hours before
- Departed
- NUN · Pensacola, FL
- Destination
- 82J · Pensacola, FL
- Airport
- NUN · Olf Saufley
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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 4,705 total · 315 in this make and model · 4,620 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 30° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PNS, 9 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.