Piper PA-24-250 N5763P

Summary

On 22 October 1983 at about 03:21 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N5763P was involved in an accident near Lake Hills, Tennessee, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

22 October 1983 at 03:21

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Hills, Tennessee, United States

Nearest airport

Lovell Field (CHA)

Coordinates

35.1004, -85.1809

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N5763P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Troy → Chattanooga

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

ATL84FA026

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ACFT'S RADIO TRANSMITTER BECAME INOP; HOWEVER, THE PLT COULD RECEIVE TRANSMISSIONS & WAS PROVIDED VECTORS TOWARD THE DESTINATION ARPT. AFTER STARTING A DESCENT NEAR THE DESTINATION, THE ENG LOST POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DITCHED IN THE TENNESSEE RIVER. A WATER LAND ENG WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE OF THE ROUGH TERRAINS & DARKNESS. AFTER THE WATER LANDING, ALL 4 OCCUPANTS EXITED THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS STILL FLOATING. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, NONE RECEIVED INJURIES DURING THE FORCED LANDING. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS COULD NOT SWIM. SHE & ONE OTHER PASSENGER WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE DROWNED. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED, ONLY RIVER WATER WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL TANKS. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 4 HRS & 6 MIN PRIOR TO CRASHING. FUEL CONSUMPTION FOR THE FLT AS ESTIMATED TO BE 60.27 GAL. THE FUEL CAPACITY FOR THE ACFT WAS 60 GAL. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT WAS BRIEFED TO EXPECT IMC CONDITIONS ALONG THE ROUTE OF FLT. DURING THE FLT, HE HAD CRUISED AT 8000 FT. AT CHATTANOOGA, THE CEILING WAS 3000 FT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.