Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Towson, Maryland 21204
Friday, November 11, 1988 16:35 EST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

ABOUT 6 MIN AFTER TAKEOFF, AFTER LEVELING AT 3500 FT, THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS HAVING A PROBELM THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO FIGURE OUT. A FEW MINUTES LATER, HE REPEATED THE SAME PROBLEM & ELECTED TO DIVERT TO A NEARBY ARPT. WITNESSES RPRTD THE ACFT REVERSED COURSE SVRL TIMES, & AT LEAST ONCE, IT ENTERED A SPIN, BUT RECOVERED. RPRTDLY, IT THEN BEGAN CLIMBING BUT ENTERED A 2ND SPIN & CRASHED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, DAMAGING 2 HOUSES. TWO WITNESSES RPRTD THE LEFT ENG HAD EITHER STOPPED OR WAS WINDMILLING BEFORE THE ACFT CRASHED. RADAR DATA SHOWED THE ACFT HAD TURNED LEFT FOR A TOTAL OF 360 DEGS, WITH SVRL ALTITUDE EXCURSIONS, WITHIN A .45 MI RADIUS. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS FOUND, BUT THE ACFT WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED BY IMPACT & FIRE. ONE OF THE RGT PROP BLADES WAS BENT APRX 145 DEG OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, THE OTHER RGT PROP BLADE WAS RELATIVELY STRAIGHT WITH COMPRESSION DEFORMATION. BOTH LEFT PROP BLADES WERE FOUND AT A LOW PITCH SETTING WITH ONE BLADE BENT AFT APRX 60 DEG & THE OTHER BLADE BENT FORWARD ABOUT 15 DEG.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 11/11/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1635
Event Time Zone Eastern Standard Time
Event City TOWSON
Event State MARYLAND
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 21204
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 11
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 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Unknown
Time of the weather observation 1652 Eastern Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID BWI
Elevation of weather observation facility 146
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation EST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 5000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 10
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) -2
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 310
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 16
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 0
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) 2515
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Nov 11 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1700
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41452
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:17PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N63762
NTSB Number BFO89FA009
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion Ground
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-250
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-250
Aircraft Serial Number 27-7754080
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 Jul 15 1988 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 SHELDON D. FINEMAN
Aircraft Owner Street Address 125 ALEXIS LANE
Aircraft Owner City PHILADELPHIA
Aircraft Owner State PA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 19115
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 8 STEEPLECHASE LANE
Operator City BLUE BELL
Operator State PA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 19422
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 BWI
Departure City BALTIMORE
Departure State MD
Departure Country
Departure Time 1620
Departure Time Zone EST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code PNE
Destination City PHILADELPHIA
Destination State PA
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
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 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --