- Date
- March 26, 1988, 07:39 local (12:39 UTC)
- Place
- Terra Ceia, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N44759Piper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880326039339A
- Case key
- 32152
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
While on a cross country flt, the plt elected to return to the departure point due to 'bad weather.' He later advised tower personnel when the flt was 10 miles south, inbound for landing. The plt was given landing information after which he reported a loss of RPM which he was unable to correct. The plt ditched the acft but was picked up by a coast guard vessel. VMC prevailed at the time of the accident but the visibility was reduced to 5 miles because of haze & fog. The temperature/dewpoint spread was 67/66 degrees fahrenheit, respectively. According to an advisory circular if the temperature is between 20 & 70 degrees fahrenheit with visible moisture or high humidity, the plt should be alert for carburetor ice. The first indication of this is loss of RPM. The acft has not been recovered.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44759
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7515024
- Airframe hours
- 2,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert W. Tuck
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 30, 1987
- Departed
- SPG · St. Petersburg, FL
- Destination
- EYW · Key West, FL
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 67 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SPG, 10 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.