Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lithia Springs, Georgia 30134
Wednesday, June 21, 1989 8:23 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ELEVEN MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE PILOT REPORTED SMOKE AND A RIGHT ENGINE PROBLEM, THEN SAID 'GOING DOWN'. RIGHT WING AND ENGINE ASSEMBLIES SEPARATED IN FLIGHT. FIRE DAMAGE VICINITY OF RIGHT ENGINE LEFT TURBOCHARGER; TAILPIPE ASSEMBLY HAD SEPARATED. HEAVY SMOKE & HEAT DAMAGE BETWEEN RIGHT WING FORWARD & AFT WING SPARS. TAILPIPE HAD FAILED IN FATIGUE NEAR FLANGE WHERE ATTACHED TO TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST PORT. EVIDENCE OF NON-UNIFORMLY SEATED GASKET BETWEEN FLANGES. ALSO, RIGHT ENGINE LOWER LEFT ENGINE MOUNT DETERIORATED; SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF RUBBER MISSING. PIPER SB #818 (AD87-07-09) ACCOMPLISHED 5/21/88; REQUIRES REMOVAL & INSPECTION OF EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR CRACKS AND REINSTALLATION WITH NEW FLANGE GASKETS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
INFLIGHT ENGINE/WING FIRE DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE'S LEFT EXHAUST TAILPIPE. THE EXHAUST TAILPIPE FAILED IN FATIGUE AS A RESULT OF FLUCTUATING STRESSES INDUCED BY A DETERIORATED ENGINE MOUNT IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNEVENLY DISTRIBUTED CLAMPING LOADS CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERLY SEATED GASKET.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/21/1989 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 823 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | LITHIA SPRINGS |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30134 |
| Event Date Year | 1989 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Full |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 812 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 100 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | FTY |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 841 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 5 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 240 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1100 |
| 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 | 3 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2178 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 21 1989 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 840 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 41855 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N83AT |
| NTSB Number | ATL89FA166 |
| 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 | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-60-601P |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-60-601P |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 61P0296074 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6000 |
| 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 | Dec 6 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 74 |
| Airframe Hours | 1454 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AEROSTAR TRANSPORT INC., |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 324 |
| Aircraft Owner City | HEADLAND |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | AERO STAR TRANSPORT CORP |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 324 |
| Operator City | HEADLAND |
| Operator State | AL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 36345 |
| 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 | PDK |
| Departure City | ATLANTA |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 811 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | MEM |
| Destination City | MEMPHIS |
| Destination State | TN |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |