- Date
- April 24, 1991, 16:35 local (20:35 UTC)
- Place
- Missing, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N8938PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910424016799A
- Case key
- 32760
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
Undetermined.
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
The plt did not obtain a wx briefing or file a flt plan before departure. He had a meeting planned for later that evening. Review of recorded FAA ATC conversations with the plt revealed that after takeoff clearance was received, no further transmissions were received. The flt failed to return to the departure arpt. The acft has not been located. Review of the airframe & eng logbooks revealed that the plt/owner performed preventative maint beyond the scope & intent of the regulation. According to civil air patrol personnel, the acft was spotted 1 hour 25 minutes after departure at an arpt located 9 nautical miles sse of the departure arpt, performing touch and go landings. The acft then departed to the nw. Satellite photographs taken 4, 26, & 56 minutes after takeoff show no significant wx in the area.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8938P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4394
- Engine
- Lycoming IO540-D4A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Murrian, Jack & Evelyn J.
- Registered owner
- Murrian, Jack & Evelyn J.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 3, 1990
- Departed
- MLB · Melbourne, 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
- 61
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,310 total · 1,125 in this make and model · 2,184 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Not reported
- Wind
- 70° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 1 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.