Piper PA31 accident near Weston, FL
On October 26, 2015, a Piper PA31 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Weston, FL. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- October 26, 2015
- Place
- Weston, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA31 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 26.059°N, 80.435°W
- NTSB ID
- 20151026X43000
Official records · ERA16LA026
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 26, 2015, at 1233 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-350, N55GK, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh in Weston, Florida, while on approach to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airline transport pilot was fatally injured, one passenger incurred minor injuries, and one passenger was not injured. The business flight was operated by Spohrer & Dodd Aviation LLC., and conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight, which departed Jacksonville Executive Airport (CRG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1033. According to a fueling receipt and statements from the passengers, the flight originated from Herlong Recreational Airport (HEG), Jacksonville, Florida, about 1010. Before departure, the airplane was fueled with 17.3 gallons of 100 low-lead aviation gasoline, which brought the fuel quantity in the main fuel tanks to full. No fuel was added to the auxiliary fuel tanks at this time. The flight departed for FXE but diverted to CRG due to a cockpit window that was not properly closed. The pilot secured the window at CRG and departed on the accident flight. According to information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was in radio and radar contact with air traffic control (Miami Approach) while being vectored for a visual approach to runway 9 at FXE. At 1230, the air traffic controller instructed the flight to descend from 3,0
Probable cause
The pilot's feathering of the incorrect propeller following a total loss of right engine power due to fuel starvation, which resulted from maintenance personnel’s failure to reinstall the flapper valve in the right main fuel tank. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to alcohol consumption.
More accidents in FL
- Grumman G-73T, Dec 19, 2005
- Beech B90, Jan 5, 1994
- Beech B-90, Sep 3, 1999
- Cessna 182B, Feb 7, 1982
- Pilatus Aircraft Ltd PC-12/47, Jun 7, 2012
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.
