Piper PA-34-200T N872SD

Summary

On 16 December 1996 at about 13:19 local time, a Piper PA-34-200T registered N872SD, operated by F and B Aviation Inc, was involved in an accident near Birmingham, Alabama, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

16 December 1996 at 13:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

Coordinates

33.4608, -86.8604

Aircraft

Piper PA-34-200T

Registration

N872SD

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

F and B Aviation Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Pensacola

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA97FA040

3 people died.

failure of the pilot to follow emergency procedures and feather the malfunctioning engine, which led to a forced landing and subsequent collision with a chimney (residence) and the terrain. His lack of recent experience in make/model of aircraft was a related factor.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

When queried after takeoff, the pilot informed ATC that the left engine was not developing full power, and that he was having difficulty in maintaining altitude. The pilot was attempting to return to the departure airport when the airplane collided with trees and a chimney, then it crashed in a residential area. Examination of the left and right engine did not reveal any condition that would have caused an operational problem. Neither propeller was in the feather position. Two work orders had been signed off on the day of the accident; one indicated that the airplane was in an airworthy; the other (with a later invoice number) indicated that the airplane was not in an airworthy condition. A review of pilot log sheets showed that the pilot had prevously flown the Piper PA-34 between 1/13/86 and 10/6/91; since that period, he had only flown it once, which was on the day before the accident. Reportedly, during that flight, he had flown the airplane for one hour, but did not practice emergency procedures.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.