Piper PA-34-200 accident near Tallahassee, Florida, April 1, 1999
On April 1, 1999 at about 8:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N15478, was destroyed in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida (Tallahassee airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain flying speed during initial climb which resulted in a stall and uncontrolled collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 1999 · about 8:48 pm local time
- Place
- Tallahassee, Florida · Tallahassee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15478 · no longer on the register · serial 347350067
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of another airplane, while taxiing for takeoff, observed the accident airplane during the initial climb out. The airplane was observed in a right 45-degree bank, the nose of the airplane was up about 30 degrees and the airplane appeared to have stalled. At approximately the same time, the pilot radioed and reported that he was having a problem and wanted to return; the pilot never stated the problem. The airplane suddenly started losing altitude and just before colliding with the ground, the airplane was last observed in a 20 to 30 degree right bank, and a 50 to 60 degree nose-down attitude. Seconds later, a fireball was observed in the vicinity where the airplane was last seen. The fuselage assembly received heavy fire damage. The center section of the airframe and the cockpit area was fire damaged. The subsequent examination of the engine and airframe assemblies failed to reveal a mechanical problem or component failure.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,650 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 17, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: TLH at 2:46 pm
- Destination: Memphis TN
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27, 8,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,500 ft; scat at 2,200 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:52 pm from TLH, 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.
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.