Piper PA-23-250 accident near Youngstown, Ohio, July 19, 1983
On July 19, 1983 at about 12:36 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N54072, was substantially damaged in an accident near Youngstown, Ohio. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1983 · about 12:36 pm local time
- Place
- Youngstown, Ohio
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N54072 · registry record · serial 27-7405382
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN IFR FLT, THE ACFT WAS LEVELED AT 13,000 FT & THE POWER WAS SET AT 18 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE & 2300 RPM. APRX 5 MIN LATER, THE RIGHT ENG BEGAN TO SURGE TO 3000 RPM & ALMOST 'PEGGED.' THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO CONTROL THE RIGHT PROPELLER. FINALLY, THE RIGHT ENG WENT TO 2300 RPM & STABILIZED THERE. THE PLT INFORMED ATC & BEGAN AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT TO THE NEAREST ARPT. AT ABOUT 7000 FT, THE LEFT ENG BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH & PROGRESSIVELY BECAME WORSE. AS THE LEFT ENG RPM DECREASED TO ABOUT 1500, THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS FEATHERED. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE RIGHT ENG SURGED AGAIN & THE RIGHT PROPELLER WAS SUBSEQUENTLY FEATHERED. AFTER DESCENDING BELOW THE OVERCAST, A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A BLACKBERRY PATCH & THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM REVEALED THE NUT THAT HELD THE RIGHT PROP, SPINNER BAFFLE HAD BACKED OFF. IT HAD WORN GROOVES IN THE AIRVALVE WHICH ALLOWED THE PRE-LOAD AIR PRESSURE IN THE HUB TO RELEASE. ALSO, THE PRE-LOAD AIR PRESSURE ON THE LEFT PROP WAS FOUND AT 45 PSI, BUT SHOULD HAVE BEEN 70 PSI.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,830 hours in all; 673 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 9,543 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,858 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 6, 1983; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH at 11:50 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.