Piper PA-60-600 incident near Cochran, Georgia, February 5, 1991
On February 5, 1991 at about 7:10 am local time, a Piper PA-60-600, registered N6070D, suffered minor damage in an incident near Cochran, Georgia (Cochran airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUTOFF VALVE WHICH RESULTED IN A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AS A RESULT OF THE PILOTS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT. FACTORS IN THIS INCIDENT WERE THE DARK NIGHT, AND A LOSS OF HYDRAULIC PRESSURE WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE FAILED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 5, 1991 · about 7:10 am local time
- Place
- Cochran, Georgia · Cochran · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60-600 · all PA-60-600s on the register
- Registration
- N6070D · no longer on the register · serial 600677961214
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT 7000 FEET THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM JACKSONVILLE CENTER, AND WAS VECTORED TO COCHRAN AIRPORT. THE PILOT ESTABLISHED AN APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE WING FLAPS. APPARENTLY, AFTER THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH HYDRAULIC PRESSURE AVAILABLE TO LOWER THE WING FLAPS. THE ONLY HYDRAULIC PUMP WAS INSTALLED ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PILOT LOST DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE LANDING ROLLOUT, AND THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY INTO A DITCH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HEAVY LEFT BRAKING WAS USED, BUT FAILED TO CORRECT THE RIGHTWARD DRIFT. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT MANUAL, THE PILOT SHOULD USE ENGINE POWER AND BRAKING TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DISCLOSED THAT THE RIGHT FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE HAD FAILED AND FUEL WAS SHUTOFF TO THE RIGHT ENGINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE RIGHT WING SPAR WAS REPAIRED PRIOR TO RESTORING THE AIRPLANE TO A FULL AIRWORTHY STATUS.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,326 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 3,275 as pilot in command; 170 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Top Flight INC.
The flight
- Departed from: ATL Atlanta GA at 5:55 am
- Destination: TPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 3,200 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:50 am from MCN, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N6070D 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.