Piper PA-28-235 accident near Summerville, South Carolina, June 27, 1995
On June 27, 1995 at about 7:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N16345, was substantially damaged in an accident near Summerville, South Carolina. It was a business 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 disconnected carburetor mixture control linkage that resulted in a loss of engine power, and the subsequent collision with trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1995 · about 7:00 am local time
- Place
- Summerville, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N16345 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7310089
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGHLY. UNABLE TO RETURN TO THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT FORCE LANDED IN A WOODED AREA. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE MIXTURE CONTROL LINKAGE WAS DISCONNECTED. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED, IT RAN ROUGHLY UNTIL THE MIXTURE CONTROL LEVER ON THE CARBURETOR WAS MOVED BY HAND TO THE RICH POSITION.
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: 840 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,335 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 1994; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DYB at 7:00 am
- Destination: 6J2 St. George SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 am from CHS, 20 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.