Piper PA-31-350 accident near Munford, Alabama, February 7, 1991
On February 7, 1991 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N27818, was destroyed in an accident near Munford, Alabama. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT ATTEMPTING VISUAL FLIGHT IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS BELOW THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE FOR TERRAIN CLEARANCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE LOW CEILING AND MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 1991 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Munford, Alabama · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N27818 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7952001
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN UPDATED 0528 EST WX BRIEFING, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED OF FLIGHT PRECAUTIONS FOR IFR WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE GEORGIA AND ALABAMA AREAS. AT 0841 EST HE DEPARTED MACON, GA ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN TO ANNISTON, AL. AT O821 CST, APRX 22 MI SE FROM THE ANNISTON ARPT, THE PILOT CONTACTED ATLANTA CENTER AND CANCELLED HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN. HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE MINIMUM SAFE ALTITUDE IN HIS AREA WAS 2,900 FT MSL. TWO MINUTES LATER HE CONTACTED ANNISTON RADIO AND REQUESTED LOCAL WX CONDITIONS. HE WAS GIVEN THE LATEST REPORTED (0756 CST) WX AS CEILING 1,500 BROKEN, 3,100 OVERCAST, 5 MI WITH FOG. THE ANNISTON AIRPORT FIELD ELEVATION IS 526 FT. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY IMPACTED A MOUNTAIN TOP 10 MI SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT AT AN ELEVATION OF APRX 2,300 FT. THE 0850 CST ANNISTON WX WAS 800 FT OVERCAST, 4 MI IN FOG.
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: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Macon Horizons, INC
The flight
- Departed from: MCN Macon GA at 1:41 pm
- Destination: ANB Anniston AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Observation at 2:50 pm from ANB, 18 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.