Piper PA-23-150 accident near Jackson, Tennessee, December 3, 1989
On December 3, 1989 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-150, registered N1361P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jackson, Tennessee (Mckeller Field). It was an instructional 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
LOSS OF POWER IN BOTH ENGINES (PROBABLE FUEL STARVATION) DUE TO IMPROPER PLANNING/DECISION BY THE PILOT(S), AND LACK OF SUPERVISION BY THE INSTRUCTOR. SOFT TERRAIN IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 3, 1989 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Jackson, Tennessee · Mckeller Field
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-150 · all PA-23-150s on the register
- Registration
- N1361P · no longer on the register · serial 23410
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOTS WERE CONDUCTING INSTRUMENT FLIGHT TRAINING & THE ACFT WAS OVER THE VOR WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE LOST POWER. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE & ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE THE POWER, BUT WAS UNABLE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. THE CFI TRIED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE SELECTED RUNWAY. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN ON SOFT TERRAIN SHORT OF RUNWAY 20 & WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE ENGINE OR ACFT SYSTEMS. BOTH ENGINES OPERATED NORMALLY DURING A POST-ACCIDENT CHECK. THE TEMPERATURE & DEW POINT WERE 30 & 7 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO CARBURETOR ICING CHARTS, CARBURETOR ICING WAS NOT PROBABLE.
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: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,030 hours in all; 253 in this make and model; 204 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,836 as pilot in command; 1,330 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,750 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 16, 1989; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-C23B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Bolivar Aircraft Sales
The flight
- Departed from: Bolivar TN at 4:30 pm
- Destination: Jackson TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 6,008 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N1361P 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.