Piper PA-34-200 accident near Double Springs, Alabama, August 23, 1995
On August 23, 1995 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N15866, was destroyed in an accident near Double Springs, Alabama (Double Springs Winston CO airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to follow emergency procedures for loss of engine power, and his failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors relating to the accident were: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning/preparation and improper fuel consumption calculations, which resulted in fuel exhaustion, and his lack of recent multiengine flight experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 1995 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Double Springs, Alabama · Double Springs Winston CO · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15866 · no longer on the register · serial 34-1350102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane on a downwind leg for landing. They believed that the airplane then turned right onto a base leg. During the turn, one engine quit, the airplane rolled, and the nose dropped to a near vertical attitude. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the airplane impacted in the same attitude. There was no evidence of fuel having been spilled from the left wing tanks. An examination of the right engine indicated there was rotation of the right propeller at impact; also, there was minimal fuel spillage from the right wing tanks. The estimated time en route for the planned flight was 5.4 hours. Investigation revealed that the flight's duration was 4.5 hours, which equated to the calculated fuel endurance of the airplane with its 93 gallon fuel capacity. According to the pilot's logbook, his previous flight in a multiengined airplane was on 8/26/94. The pilot did not report any mechanical difficulty with the aircraft 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
- Flight time: 1,551 hours in all; 158 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,798 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 28, 1995; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OK14 Goldsby OK at 12:30 pm
- Destination: GAD Gadsden AL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 3,403 ft by 78 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:51 pm from MSL, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.