Darlington County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Dovesville, South Carolina 29540
Monday, August 3, 1992 10:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

WHILE CRUISING AT 7500 FEET MSL THE PILOT REPORTED A GRADUAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED RADIO AND RADAR CONTACT WITH FLORENCE APPROACH CONTROL AND ADVISED THE CONTROLLER OF HIS ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT WAS GIVEN RADAR VECTORS TO DARLINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT, THE NEAREST SUITABLE AIRPORT. ANOTHER PILOT FLYING IN THE SECOND AIRPLANE IN THE FLIGHT SUGGESTED SEVERAL REMEDIES FOR THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. FINALLY, HE SUGGESTED THAT THE PILOT CHECK THE MAGNETOS. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE RAN SMOOTHLY ON ONE MAGNETO BUT THE ENGINE ALMOST QUIT WHEN SWITCHED TO THE OTHER MAGNETO. MOMENTS LATER THE PILOT REPORTED A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE DISAPPEARED OFF THE RADAR SCOPE AND CRASHED 3 MILES SHORT OF DARLINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT. THE SECOND AIRPLANE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT BUT THE PILOT REPORTED A LAYER OF FOG AT THE AIRPORT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY IMPACT FORCES AND THE POST CRASH FIRE.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WHICH RESULTED FROM AN UNDETERMINED MALFUNCTION OF THE IGNITION SYSTEM. A FACTOR WAS FOG.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/3/1992
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1000
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City DOVESVILLE
Event State SOUTH CAROLINA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 29540
Event Date Year 1992
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport DARLINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT
Event Location Nearest Airport ID 04J
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 45
Airport Elevation 990
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 856 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 130
Weather Observation Facility ID FLO
Elevation of weather observation facility 147
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 30
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 9500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 4
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 24
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 170
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 7
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 975
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 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 843
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 3 1992 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1315
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 47637
Date of most recent change to record Dec 11 2000 3:11PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N8620P
NTSB Number ATL92FA152
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-24-400
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-24-400
Aircraft Serial Number 24-144
Certified Max Gross Weight 3600
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 4
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection May 4 1992 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name BURKE COAL COMPANY
Aircraft Owner Street Address POB 3290
Aircraft Owner City WISE
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 24293
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name BURKE COAL COMPANY
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address POB 3290
Operator City WISE
Operator State VA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 24293
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) Personal
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code LNP
Departure City WISE
Departure State VA
Departure Country
Departure Time 800
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code CRE
Destination City N.MYRTLE BEACH
Destination State SC
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Cruise - normal
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:35AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 23
Runway Length 5000
Runway Width 75
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --