Piper PA-32-260 accident near Greenville, North Carolina, May 15, 1992
On May 15, 1992 at about 10:39 am local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N2259T, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, North Carolina (Pitt-Greenville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN A PROPER CLIMB RATE AFTER TAKEOFF AFTER BECOMING SPATIALLY DISORIENTED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE PILOT'S SELF-INDUCED PRESSURE TO MAKE THE FLIGHT, AND HIS LACK OF TOTAL INSTRUMENT FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 15, 1992 · about 10:39 am local time
- Place
- Greenville, North Carolina · Pitt-Greenville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N2259T · registry record · serial 32-7100026
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT HAD OBTAINED HIS INSTRUMENT RATING TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. HE HAD STATED TO A FORMER INSTRUCTOR THAT HE NEEDED THE INSTRUMENT RATING TO AVOID GETTING STUCK ON TRIPS. FURTHER, HE WAS CONCERNED THAT HIS FAMILY & FRIENDS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED, IF THIS TRIP WAS CANCELLED OR DELAYED. AT 0621 EDT, THE WEATHER WAS, IN PART: SKY PARTIALLY OBSCURED, CEILING 200 FEET OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 1/4 MILE WITH FOG, WIND CALM. AT 0641 EDT (2 MIN AFTER THE ACDNT), THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO ZERO. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 25, THE AIRPLANE REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 300 FEET. IT THEN CRASHED INTO WOODED TERRAIN ABOUT 1/4 MILE SOUTH OF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY CENTER LINE & ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE AIRPORT CENTER. IT WAS IN A STEEP LEFT BANK, WHEN IT CRASHED. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST INVERTED. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE PLANE WAS FOUND, THOUGH IT WAS NEARLY CONSUMED BY POST-IMPACT FIRE.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 456 hours in all; 357 in this make and model; 364 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 6, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: SAV Savannah GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 25, 4,997 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Sky: overcast at 200 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:41 am from PGV, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 ATL92FA102.