Piper PA-24-250 accident near Ft Mill, South Carolina, November 23, 1988
On November 23, 1988 at about 4:36 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6711P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft Mill, South Carolina (Charlotte/Douglas Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1988 · about 4:36 pm local time
- Place
- Ft Mill, South Carolina · Charlotte/Douglas Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6711P · registry record · serial 24-1837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACDNT, THE PLT HAD FUELED THE ACFT TO CAPACITY & FLOWN IT A SHORT DISTANCE TO HIS HOUSE AT A PVT AIRSTRIP. AFTER THE FLT, HE NOTICED FUEL ON THE TOPS OF BOTH WINGS, AFT OF THE FUEL FILLER CAPS. HE WAS AWARE THAT FUEL HAD LEAKED FROM THE THERMOS TYPE FUEL CAPS. DURING THE NEXT FLT, WHEN THE ACFT WAS ON AN ILS APCH TO THE DESTN ARPT, THE ENG LOST POWER FROM FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PLT DESCENDED BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER & MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PEACH ORCHARD, WHERE THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN 3.63 HRS SINCE IT WAS LAST REFUELED. THE PLT RPRTD IT HAD AT LEAST 4.3 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD AFTER THE LAST REFUELING. HE BELIEVED THAT SOME 5 TO 6 GAL OF FUEL HAD SIPHONED FROM EACH TANK. AD 68-13-03 REQUIRED AN INSPN OF THE FUEL CAPS FOR DRYNESS & HARDNESS AFTER EACH 100 HRS OF FLT. THE LAST ENTRY IN THE LOG FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THIS AD WAS IN 1985 AT APRX 2590 HRS. TOTAL AIRFRAME TIME ON THE DATE OF THE ACDNT WAS 2981 HRS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,132 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 1,792 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,981 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1988; 87 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X05 Brooksville FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: CLT Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 36R, 7,845 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:23 pm from CLT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL89LA044.