Aviation Crash Map

Piper PA-23-150 N3EF

16 July 1990 · Radnow Township, Pennsylvania, United States · Minor injuries

Summary

On 16 July 1990 at about 19:06 local time, a Piper PA-23-150 registered N3EF was involved in an accident near Radnow Township, Pennsylvania, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

The record

Date
at 19:06
Classification
Accident
Location
Radnow Township, Pennsylvania, United States
Coordinates
40.0599, -75.4006
Aircraft
Piper PA-23-150
Registration
N3EF
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 91: General Aviation
Purpose of flight
Personal
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Sussex Co. → Allentown
Aircraft damage
Destroyed
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
NYC90LA162

People

1 person had minor injuries.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
3 0 0 1 2

Probable cause

WIRE STRIKE DURING AN OFF AIRPORT FORCED LANDING IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE A POWER LOSS, CAUSED BY AN ENGINE OIL LEAK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME AIRPORT FLYING VFR A 1500 FEET MSL. AFTER STARTING A SLOW CLIMB TO 3000 FEET THE PILOT NOTICED THE PROPELER RPM HAD DROPPED ON THE RIGHT ENGINE AND HIS PASSENGER TOLD HIM THAT OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN & FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE. HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE OR AIRSPEED ON THE LEFT ENGINE, SO HE ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING ON A CLOSED HIGHWAY. WHILE ON APPROACH, THE LEFT PROPELLER STRUCK A POWERLINE. THE PILOT COULD NOT GAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE BEFORE IT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE ENGINE TEARDOWN SHOWED NO DISCREPANCIES. THE POST IMPACT FIRE CAUSED TOO MUCH DAMAGE TO THE OIL LINES & ENGINES EXTERIOR TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE OIL LEAK.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Other Piper PA-23 accidents

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
14 Jul 1990 Piper PA-23
N44HH
Shirley, New York, United States Joseph R. Scioscia Minor injuries -
16 Aug 1990 Piper PA-23-160
N4231P
Odell, Illinois, United States - No injuries -
14 Dec 1990 Piper PA-23-250
CGDLC
Brownell, Kansas, United States - No injuries -
20 Jul 1990 Piper PA-23
N4950P
Long Beach, California, United States Nealy, Jeffrey A. No injuries -
1 Aug 1990 Piper PA-23-250
N681M
Burns, Oregon, United States Robert M. Briggs Minor injuries -
29 Jul 1990 Piper PA-23-250
N333EP
North Andover, Massachusetts, United States
no coordinates
Sharqi & Mohammad al-Sharqi Fatal 3

All 1,716 records for this type

Other accidents in this area

Date Aircraft Location Operator Outcome Died
15 Jul 1990 Aeronca 7BCM
N2089A
Doylestown, Pennsylvania, United States Edward Cole No injuries -
22 Jul 1990 Cessna 340A
N555KB
Prospect, Pennsylvania, United States Brennan Aviation Corp. No injuries -
26 Jul 1990 Cessna 180
N1ZT
Hilltown, Pennsylvania, United States
no coordinates
JOE A. Bawduniak Minor injuries -
2 Aug 1990 Piper PA-28-151
N6177J
Mt Pocono, Pennsylvania, United States - No injuries -
4 Aug 1990 Piper PA-28-140
N7265F
Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, United States Raymond L. Corper No injuries -
5 Aug 1990 Rockwell 112TC
N112FF
Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania, United States Robert Earl Jones No injuries -

All 170,864 records in United States