Piper PA-23-250 accident near Blowing Rock, North Carolina, June 19, 1994
On June 19, 1994 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N63872, was destroyed in an accident near Blowing Rock, North Carolina. 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 SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN (REMOTE, WOODED, MOUNTAINOUS) FOR AN INTENTIONAL CRASH LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1994 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Blowing Rock, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N63872 · no longer on the register · serial 27-7854022
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN REPORTED STOLEN EARLER IN THE MONTH. US CUSTOMS SERVICE REPORTED THAT IT HAD BEEN UNDER AERIAL SURVEILLANCE FOR MORE THAN 9 HRS. SURVEILLANCE BEGAN NEAR CUBA, AND THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO NORTH CAROLINA AT LOW ALTITUDE. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED TO SETTLE INTO TREES IN A REMOTE, MOUNTAINOUS AREA OF WESTERN NC. INSPECTION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED LARGE QUANTITIES OF MARIHUANA AND HASHISH OIL. THE AIRPLANE HAD NO SEATS, AND THERE WAS AN EXTRA BLADDER FUEL TANK INSTALLED IN THE FUSELAGE. THE POSITIONS OF COCKPIT CONTROLS INDICATES THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS INTENTIONALLY CRASH LANDED. TOTAL NUMBER OF OCCUPANTS ON BOARD IS UNKNOWN. THE PILOT'S INJURY IS PRESUMED.
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
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:45 pm from INT, 95 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.
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.