Piper PA-34-200 accident near Greenville, Alabama, September 16, 2005
On September 16, 2005 at about 8:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N287RR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Greenville, Alabama (Mac Crenshaw Memorial Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of left engine power due to fuel system contamination and the pilot's failure to follow procedures and his improper use of the throttle and flight controls during the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 16, 2005 · about 8:10 pm local time
- Place
- Greenville, Alabama · Mac Crenshaw Memorial Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N287RR · no longer on the register · serial 34-7350287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was departing on a cross country flight to California when on the takeoff climb, the left engine lost power 50 feet above the ground. At this point the airplane veered left and the left wing struck the ground 200 feet left of runway centerline and rested 303 feet from the left edge of the runway surface. The engine failure during takeoff emergency procedures state "close both throttles immediately, land if airborne and stop straight ahead." Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed mud, water, and other unknown debris mixed was compacted in the servo of the left engine. Before the accident flight the pilot asked a mechanic to examine the left engine. The mechanic examined the engine and told the pilot that there was a defect with the fuel servo and it needed to be repaired. The pilot acknowledged the mechanics findings but elected to depart without repairing the fuel servo.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 5,100 hours in all; 5,100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KPRN Greenville AL
- Destination: Huntington Beac CA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 32
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.