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November 11, 1988 · Piper PA-23-250 · N63762

Towson, MD

Overview

Report Status
Preliminary report
Event Type
Accident
Date
November 11, 1988
Injury Outcomes
1 injury (1 fatality)
Location
Towson, MD
Aircraft
Piper PA-23-250
Tail Number
N63762
Injuries
Fatal
Aircraft Damage
Destroyed
NTSB Number
BFO89FA009

ABOUT 6 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, AFTER LEVELING AT 3500 FT, THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS HAVING A PROBELM THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT. A FEW MINUTES LATER, HE REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM & ELECTED TO DIVERT TO A NEARBY ARPT. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT REVERSED COURSE SVRL TIMES, & AT LEAST ONCE, IT ENTERED A SPIN, BUT RECOVERED. RPRTDLY, IT THEN BEGAN CLIMBING BUT ENTERED A 2ND SPIN & CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, DAMAGING 2 HOUSES. TWO WITNESSES RPRTD THE LEFT ENG HAD EITHER STOPPED OR WAS WINDMILLING BEFORE THE ACFT CRASHED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT HAD TURNED LEFT FOR A TOTAL OF 360 DEGS, WITH SVRL ALTITUDE EXCURSIONS, WITHIN A .45 MI RADIUS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND, BUT THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT & FIRE. ONE OF THE RGT PROP BLADES WAS BENT APRX 145 DEG OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, THE OTHER RGT PROP BLADE WAS RELATIVELY STRAIGHT WITH COMPRESSION DEFORMATION. BOTH LEFT PROP BLADES WERE FOUND AT A LOW PITCH SETTING WITH ONE BLADE BENT AFT APRX 60 DEG & THE OTHER BLADE BENT FORWARD ABOUT 15 DEG.

Full Narrative

ABOUT 6 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, AFTER LEVELING AT 3500 FT, THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS HAVING A PROBELM THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT. A FEW MINUTES LATER, HE REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM & ELECTED TO DIVERT TO A NEARBY ARPT. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT REVERSED COURSE SVRL TIMES, & AT LEAST ONCE, IT ENTERED A SPIN, BUT RECOVERED. RPRTDLY, IT THEN BEGAN CLIMBING BUT ENTERED A 2ND SPIN & CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, DAMAGING 2 HOUSES. TWO WITNESSES RPRTD THE LEFT ENG HAD EITHER STOPPED OR WAS WINDMILLING BEFORE THE ACFT CRASHED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT HAD TURNED LEFT FOR A TOTAL OF 360 DEGS, WITH SVRL ALTITUDE EXCURSIONS, WITHIN A .45 MI RADIUS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND, BUT THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT & FIRE. ONE OF THE RGT PROP BLADES WAS BENT APRX 145 DEG OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, THE OTHER RGT PROP BLADE WAS RELATIVELY STRAIGHT WITH COMPRESSION DEFORMATION. BOTH LEFT PROP BLADES WERE FOUND AT A LOW PITCH SETTING WITH ONE BLADE BENT AFT APRX 60 DEG & THE OTHER BLADE BENT FORWARD ABOUT 15 DEG.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time16:35 EST
Nearest Airport0nm N
Runway0
Runway Length0
Runway Width0
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireGrd
Aircraft ExplosionGrd

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA-23-250
Tail NumberN63762
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageDestroyed
Operating RulePart 91
Engines2
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · IO-540-C4B5 · Reciprocating · 250
Seats6

People & Injuries

Injury Summary1 injury (1 fatality)
Fatal1
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured0
Total1
Crew 1Age 57 · Third Class

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind310° @ 16 kt
Visibility20 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point50 / 28 C
Altimeter30.00 inHg
Observation Time21:52

Appendix: Source Data