Piper PA-31T3 accident near Atlanta, Georgia, September 24, 1984
On September 24, 1984 at about 8:09 pm local time, a Piper PA-31T3, registered N9193Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Atlanta, Georgia (Hartsfield Airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 6 people were seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries. 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 accident. 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
- September 24, 1984 · about 8:09 pm local time
- Place
- Atlanta, Georgia · Hartsfield Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were seriously injured and 5 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31T3 · all PA-31T3s on the register
- Registration
- N9193Y · no longer on the register · serial 31T-8275010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE NORMAL FUEL LOAD FOR THE FLT WAS 1500 LBS, BUT WITH A FORECAST TAIL WIND & AN ESTIMATED FLT TIME FOR ONLY 1+10, THE CREW ACCEPTED THE LOWER INDCTD (950 LB) FUEL LOAD. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL AN INDCTN OF 250 LBS PER SIDE, THEN THE FUEL 'SEEMED TO DISSIPATE FASTER.' WITH AN INDCTN OF 150 LBS ON DWNWND, THE COPLT RCMDD DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. THE CAPT'S RESPONSE WAS TO ASK ATC FOR THE ANTICIPATED LENGTH OF THE DWNWND LEG. HE WAS TOLD 20 MI. PRIORITY HNDLG WAS REQUESTED, BUT WAS ONLY AVAILABLE FOR A DECLARED EMERGENCY. THE APCH WAS CONTD WITH NORMAL HNDLG FOR APRX 10 MIN. AT 1608:39, THE CREW DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, THEN RPRTD THE ACFT WAS OUT OF FUEL. IT CRASH LANDED ON ROUGH TERRAIN, SHORT OF RWY 8. AN EXAM REVEALED FUEL SENSORS HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED (INTERCHANGED BTN THE INBRD & OUTBRD TANKS). THUS THE GAGES INDCTD ABOUT 180 LBS MORE THAN THE APRX 763 LBS THAT WAS ACTUALLY ABOARD AT TKOF. A SPCL 500 HR INSPN OF THE ENTIRE FUEL SYS WAS MADE ON 7/8/84 USING THE 'WET' METHOD, BUT ONLY THE CAPACITANCE METHOD CHECKS EACH INDIVIDUAL SENSOR
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,309 hours in all; 439 in this make and model; 245 in the last 90 days; 87 in the last 30 days; 3,154 as pilot in command; 876 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,857 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 18, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,050 lb
- Seats: 11
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-11 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pee Dee Air Express, INC
The flight
- Departed from: FLO Florence SC at 6:46 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 10,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:14 pm from AT, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 5 | 4 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N9193Y the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.