Piper PA-31-310 accident near Miami, FL
On July 17, 1998, a Piper PA-31-310 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Miami, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- July 17, 1998
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 25.650°N, 80.410°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001211X10651
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On July 17, 1998, about 1431 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-310, N7578L, registered to a private individual, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed after takeoff from Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport (TMB), Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed, and the commercial-rated pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the FAA control tower communication tapes, N7578L called for, and was given, clearance for takeoff and a downwind departure from runway 9L at about 1429. About 2 minutes later, a radio transmission from N7578L that included some unintelligible words, but clearly mentioned the words, "we got a.." and "engine", was made. The airplane impacted the terrain about 1 mile northeast of the geographic center of the airport in heavy underbrush of scrub pines and palmetto. Several witnesses observed the airplane in its departure turn at an altitude below 100 feet agl, and hearing unusual engine sounds seconds before the accident. An aircraft mechanic, standing abeam of the departure runway, observed most of the takeoff roll and the airplane's gyrations before it went out of sight into the brush. He states that he was first attracted to the sound of a rough running engine, and saw that the left engine was trailing black smoke. He states that the airplane never got above about 150 feet agl, and its airspeed seemed slow. The last thing he observed was a rapid left roll, and a marked pi
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which led to fuel contamination and subsequent loss of engine power. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain single engine flying speed (VMC).
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Browse: Florida · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
