- Date
- November 15, 1989, 13:04 local (18:04 UTC)
- Place
- Pembroke Pines, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N15LHPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891115045389A
- Case key
- 32535
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
Inadequate annual inspection by other maintenance personnel and inadequate preflight inspection by the pilot, which resulted in failure to detect water and contamination (residue) in the fuel. Contributing factors were: failure of the plt to feather the propellers and a fence in the emergency landing area.
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, the acft was maneuvered downwind about 1/2 mi south of the arpt at aprx 1000' AGL. When the acft was abeam mid-field, the plt requested clnc to land back on the arpt. He was clrd for right traffic to land on rwy 9R & was asked if he had any difficulties. Subsequently, the plt replied that both engs had lost power. He turned toward the arpt, but was unable to reach the rwy. Drg an emerg landing, the acft hit a chain link fence & was extensively dmgd. An exam revealed there was water & residue in the fuel sys. The owner had purchased the previously seized acft at a sheriff's department sale. Until the day of the acdnt, the acft had not been refuel since it was last flown on 7/27/89. An annual inspn had been completed on 9/22/89. The acdnt flt was the 1st flt after the annual inspn & it lasted aprx 4 min. Neither prop was feathered after the engs lost power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N15LH
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2139
- Airframe hours
- 5,019
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hilderbrand Aero Services
- Registered owner
- Hilderbrand Aero Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 22, 1989
- Departed
- HWO · Hollywood, FL
- Destination
- OPF · Miami, FL
- Airport
- HWO · North Perry, runway 9R, 3,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLL, 5 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.