Piper PA-28-151 accident near Orange Beach, Alabama, January 16, 1995
On January 16, 1995 at about 1:38 am local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N32411, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orange Beach, Alabama (Jack Edwards airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1995 · about 1:38 am local time
- Place
- Orange Beach, Alabama · Jack Edwards · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N32411 · no longer on the register · serial 287515151
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS INITIATING A VISUAL APPROACH FOR LANDING. HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS TO THE LEFT TANK POSITION, AND THE ENGINE ROUGHENED UP, AND QUIT. UNABLE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY, HE FORCE LANDED IN A WOODED, SWAMPY AREA. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, A TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED ON THE AIRFRAME. THE ENGINE STARTED ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT, AND RAN FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. THE REASON FOR THE LOSS OF POWER COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 700 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,100 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 27, 1994; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Ft. Myers FL
- Destination: AL15 Gulf Shores AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 5,399 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:42 am from PNS, 25 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.