Piper PA-30 accident near Crossville, Tennessee, January 2, 1993
On January 2, 1993 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N7712Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crossville, Tennessee (Crossville Memorial 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW CHECKLIST PROCEDURES IN THAT HE DID NOT UTILIZE THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION METHOD WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST. A FACTOR WAS HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE CHECKLIST WHEN HE FAILED TO TURN ON THE GENERATORS PRIOR TO FLIGHT, WHICH RESULTED IN ELECTRICAL FAILURE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 1993 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Crossville, Tennessee · Crossville Memorial
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N7712Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-801
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 30 MINUTES INTO THE LOCAL FLIGHT, THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT TOTAL ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST. HE COULD NOT LOWER THE FLAPS, AND WHEN HE LOWERED THE GEAR HANDLE, NO GREENS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. HE ELECTED TO RAISE THE GEAR HANDLE AND LAND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS STRUCTURALLY DAMAGED DURING THE LANDING. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS REMOVED FROM THE RUNWAY, AN FBO EMPLOYEE LOWERED THE GEAR HANDLE, AND THE GEAR EXTENDED AND LOCKED. HE THEN TURNED ON THE MASTER SWITCH, AND OBSERVED 3 GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO USE THE MANUAL ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION METHOD. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM HIS FAILURE TO TURN ON THE GENERATORS DURING THE FLIGHT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 20 in this make and model; 2,900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,765 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 30, 1992; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CSV at 10:00 pm
- Destination: CSV
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 5,418 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:14 pm from CSV, 1 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 N7712Y 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.