Piper PA-23-250 accident near Milton, Kentucky, November 16, 1990
On November 16, 1990 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N6996A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Milton, Kentucky. It was a positioning 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE IN-FLIGHT FAILURE OF BOTH ENGINES DUE TO THE PILOT'S MISMANAGEMENT OF THE FUEL SYSTEM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 16, 1990 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Milton, Kentucky · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6996A · registry record · serial 27-8054012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS CLIMBING TO ITS CRUISE ALTITUDE WHEN FIRST THE LEFT ENGINE SPUTTERED AND QUIT, THEN THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD AND THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A DITCH. POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY, WHILE THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS HELD FUEL. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE IN THE OUTBOARD POSITION AND THAT FUEL MISMANAGMENT HAD RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
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: 2,630 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 84 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,437 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,535 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, September 28, 1990; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LOU Louisville KY at 9:15 pm
- Destination: HAO Hamilton OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number BFO91LA015.