Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Clanton, Alabama 35045
Sunday, June 23, 1996 20:27 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During cruise flight at 6,000 feet, the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had an engine fire and needed to land immediately. Subsequently, the airplane's left wing separated in-flight, and the airplane crashed in an uncontrolled descent. An investigation revealed that the number six cylinder on the left engine had separated in-flight. Metallurgical examination of the cylinder revealed a fatigue fracture. The fatigue originated at a corrosion pit between the cylinder's cooling fins. There was evidence that fire erupted and spread to the left wing fuel tank, leading to separation of the wing. Also, heat streaking was noted on the left engine cowling and left horizontal stabilizer. Aircraft records showed that the engine had accumulated 1,682 hours of flight time since it was last overhauled on 5/19/75.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
corrosion pitting of the number six cylinder on the left engine, and subsequent fatigue fracture and separation of the cylinder, which led to an engine compartment fire, wing fire, and an in-flight separation of the left wing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/23/1996 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 2027 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | CLANTON |
| Event State | ALABAMA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 35045 |
| Event Date Year | 1996 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1953 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 150 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MGM |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 221 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 33 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 24 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 5 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 5 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1151 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 23 1996 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 10:03AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6937Y |
| NTSB Number | ATL96FA095 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | In-flight |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-23-250 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 27-4294 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 5200 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 24 1996 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3534 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | STEVE PEGUES |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2458 ROCKY RIDGE ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35243 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MIKE CORNELIUS |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2959 SHOOK HILL PKWY |
| Operator City | BIRMINGHAM |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 35223 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | LAL |
| Departure City | LAKELAND |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1800 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 2A1 |
| Destination City | ALABASTER |
| Destination State | AL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |