Piper PA23 accident near Unknown, GM, October 17, 2019
On October 17, 2019 at about 4:33 am local time, a 1977 Piper PA23, registered N778PA, was destroyed in an accident near Unknown, GM. 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 airplane’s descent into the ocean for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2019 · about 4:33 am local time
- Place
- Unknown, GM · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA23 250, built 1977 · all PA23s on the register
- Registration
- N778PA · no longer on the register · serial 27-7854053
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Flight track data showed the airplane take off, after which the airplane proceeded on a south heading toward its intended destination. The first portion of the flight was conducted at an altitude of about 15,000 ft msl. When the airplane was about 120 nm from the intended destination, it made a slight course correction to the right and descended to about 6,500 ft msl. About 2.75 hours into the flight, the airplane passed over its intended destination but made no course correction or altitude changes. The airplane continued out over the Gulf of Mexico for another 2.25 hours where the flight track ended. A search for the airplane was not successful. The investigation could not determine the reason the airplane overflew the destination. The airplane was presumed to have impacted water in the Gulf of Mexico and the pilot was presumed fatally injured.
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
What happened, in order
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: CGI Cape Girardeau MO at 11:36 pm
- Destination: REG Gonzales LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 am from REG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on February 8, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Destination Weather Information | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 2 | ADS-B Data from FAA | zip file | Download |
| 3 | Plot of the Airplane's Flight Path | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.