- Date
- May 9, 1986, 22:00 local (May 10, 1986, 02:00 UTC)
- Place
- Clearwater, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9272CPiper PA-32RT-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860509016889A
- Case key
- 31627
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.
Loss of control - in flight
Proper alignment - not maintainedCause
Visual lookout - inadequate
In flight collision with terrain/water
Terrain condition - ground
Directional control - not maintainedCause
On ground/water collision with object
Object - approach light/navaid
Gear collapsed
Analysis
While attempting to land at an arpt at night without the use of rwy lights, the acft touched down to the right side of the rwy on the grass. The acft then collided with the VASI lights, the landing gear was severed, & the acft slid to a stop.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9272C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300 (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7885041
- Airframe hours
- 2,355
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Rick Emshoff, doing business as Suncoast Aviation
- Registered owner
- Walter J. Powell
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 14, 1986 · 28 hours before
- Departed
- TPA · Tampa, FL
- Airport
- CLW · Clearwater Air Park, runway 33, 3,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 53
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,979 total · 52 in this make and model · 2,979 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 60° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PIE, 6 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.