Piper AEROSTAR 601P accident near Clinton, North Carolina, November 26, 1986
On November 26, 1986 at about 11:23 pm local time, a Piper AEROSTAR 601P, registered N122FP, was destroyed in an accident near Clinton, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. 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
- November 26, 1986 · about 11:23 pm local time
- Place
- Clinton, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper AEROSTAR 601P AEROSTAR 6 · all AEROSTAR 601Ps on the register
- Registration
- N122FP · no longer on the register · serial 61P-0412-147
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE EN ROUTE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AT FL180, THE PLT ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTIONS TO DSCND TO 16,000'. LATER, THE RADAR CONTROLLER (CLTR) NOTICED THE ACFT HAD DEVIATE FM COURSE & WAS NOT REPLYING WITH MODE 'C' ALT INFO. THE CTLR REQD ALT INFO & THE PLT RESPONDED, '. . . I'VE LOST AN (AWFUL) LOT OF ALT, I GOT MIXED UP IN HERE & LOST ALT, I'M GOIN' BACK UP . . .' WHEN QUERIED, THE PLT RPRTD HE WAS AT 9000' & ACKNOWLEDGED INSTRUCTIONS TO CLIMB TO 14,000'. SHORTLY THERE- AFTER, THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIRAL, THEN RADIO & RADAR CONTACT WERE LOST. AN IN-FLT BREAK-UP OCCURRED & THE WRECKAGE FELL OVR A WIDESPREAD AREA. AN EXAM REVEALED EVIDENCE THE WINGS & RGT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED FM OVERLOAD, WITH THE WINGS SEPARATING IN AN UPWARD DRCTN. A WX STUDY INDCD THERE WERE CLD LAYERS FM ABOUT 14,000' TO 20,000' WITH LGT TO MOD MIXED ICING IN CLDS ABV 14,000 FT. ALSO, LGT TO MOD TURBC WAS FORECAST BLO 20,000' & WIDELY SCATTERED, IMBEDDED TSTMS WERE FORECAST IN AN AREA NORTH OF THE ACDNT AREA. WITNESSES RPRTD CLDS & OCNL LIGHTNING TO THE EAST.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 175 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: EWN New Bern NC at 10:47 pm
- Destination: TYS Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 pm from FAY, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.