- Date
- August 24, 1990, 06:33 local (10:33 UTC)
- Place
- Mattapan, MA
- Injuries
- 3 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N85HBPiper PA-31T2
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 10, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900824036289A
- Case key
- 36546
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
The pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in his failure to maintain control of the aircraft. Factors related to the accident were: failure of the left fuel control unit, and the adverse weather conditions.
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 noted an over torque condition in the left eng as the acft was on an ILS apch. He made a go-around & initiated another apch with the eng shut down. He was unable to maintain alt & the acft began a decent that was not arrested. Subsequently, it crashed into 2 homes, aprx 6 mi from the arpt. An exam of the left eng revealed the drive shaft from the fuel pump to the fuel control was sheared at the plastic coupling. Further exam revealed the twin bearings that supported the driveshaft had failed. Also, there was evidence the drive shaft had shifted & subsequently an overtorque condition resulted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85HB
- Reported as
- Piper PA-31T2
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 31T-812021
- Engine
- P&W PT6A-28, 620 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Michael D. Spear
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · June 20, 1990 · 0 hours before
- Departed
- OB6 · Chatham, MA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- BOS · General Edward Lawrence Logan, runway 4R, 10,005 × 150 ft, macadam
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,926 total · 536 in this make and model · 2,715 as pilot in command · 92 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 300 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BOS, 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.