Piper PA-31P incident near Savannah, Georgia, April 2, 1982
On April 2, 1982 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-31P, registered N25MA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Savannah, Georgia. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1982 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Savannah, Georgia · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31P · all PA-31Ps on the register
- Registration
- N25MA · no longer on the register · serial 31P-31
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING FLIGHT, ELECTRICAL FUMES, SMOKE AND SPARKS BEGAN EMITTING FROM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL IMMEDIATELY LEFT OF THE PILOT'S SEAT. THE PILOT WAS FORCED TO MOVE TO THE RIGHT SEAT. HE TRIED TO SUPPRESS THE SPARKS WITH A CHEMICAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND TRIED TO ISOLATE THE SOURCE OF THE ELECTRICAL FIRE, BUT WAS UNABLE. HE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED AT SAVANNAH, GA. AN INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT FIRE HAD DESTROYED MUCH OF THE WIRING BEHIND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL AND SEVERAL HOLES WERE BURNED THROUGH THE FUSELAGE SKIN. BOTH OVER-VOLTAGE REGULATORS WERE BURNED OUT AND ALL RADIOS AND VOLTAGE REGULATORS WERE DESTROYED. THE BATTERY HAD OVER-HEATED AND SPEWED SMOKE AND FLUID FROM THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL HAD BEEN REINSTALLED WITHOUT A PHENOLIC SPACER ON THE FORWARD SIDE AND WAS BENT INWARD IN THAT AREA. THIS SPACER WAS NEED TO ASSURE SPACE BEHIND THE PANEL. THE FOAM MATERIAL (LINING FOR ADDITIONAL INSULATION) HAD BECOME BRITTLE. A COMPASS SYSTEM AND DME HAD BEEN INSTALLED ON 11/16/81.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,900 hours in all; 150 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,934 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,800 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIGO-541-E1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DAB Daytona Beach FL at 12:00 pm
- Destination: INT Winston-Salem NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 163°F (73°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from SAV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.