- Date
- July 6, 1991, 08:19 local (13:19 UTC)
- Place
- Valparaiso, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5953PPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910706029329A
- Case key
- 32897
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
Partial loss of engine power due to fuel contamination due to an inadequate preflight by the pilot in command and failure of the pilot to extend the landing gear during the forced landing.
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 fuel tanks were filled the day before the accident flt at a nearby arpt. The plt reported that the 20 minute return flt was uneventful. Before departure on a local flt, the fuel tanks were checked for contaminants; none were found. The flt departed, performed one touch and go landing, and the pilot stated that while turning crosswind, the eng lost power. He then landed the acft gear up on a taxiway. The fuel tanks were drained immediately after the accident. The carburetor bowl was drained 2 days after the accident which revealed about 130 ml of fuel and 20 ml of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5953P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1044
- Airframe hours
- 3,538
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Boles, Lyman M.
- Registered owner
- Boles, Lyman M.
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 1, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Airport
- VPS · Eglin Afb
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,654 total · 181 in this make and model · 3,536 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VPS, 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.
Other investigations on N5953P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.