Piper PA 46-350P accident near Greenwood, Mississippi, April 1, 2011
On April 1, 2011 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Piper PA 46-350P, registered N146DG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Greenwood, Mississippi (Greenwood-Leflore Airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot did not obtain the proper touchdown point as a result of his decision to shut down the engine and to deploy the landing gear and flaps before the landing was assured. Contributing to the accident was his decision to overfly a closer suitable airport and the fatigue fracture of a turbine blade in the right turbocharger, which led to an imbalance of the turbine wheel and the subsequent failure of the turbocharger.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2011 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Greenwood, Mississippi · Greenwood-Leflore Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N146DG · no longer on the register · serial 46-36066
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was climbing through 13,000 feet when the pilot heard a loud "pop" and observed a large reduction in manifold pressure. He declared an emergency to an air traffic controller and initiated a slow descent to the nearest airport recommended by the controller. The pilot asked the controller if there was a mechanic at that airport and the controller stated that there was not but that a mechanic was available at another airport. The pilot elected to go to the other airport, which was farther away. The pilot acquired the airport visually but was initially a little high and planned to enter the traffic pattern on a downwind leg for the opposite runway; the pilot lowered the landing gear to assist in losing altitude. However, the airplane was then low and the airspeed was decreasing. The pilot subsequently decided to abandon the downwind approach and land straight-in to the runway. The oil pressure gauge indicated zero and the oil warning light illuminated. The pilot continued to run the engine until he thought he could reach the runway, and then he shut down the engine. He subsequently raised the landing gear as the airplane became low, but the airspeed also decreased. He realized that he was not going to reach the runway and lined up with a grassy area short of the runway to avoid colliding with the instrument landing system. He extended the landing gear and flaps and the airplane touched down and collided with a ditch. A postaccident examination of the engine assembly revealed that the right turbocharger would not rotate when actuated by hand. The turbocharger was removed and oil was noted in the compressor outlet tubing. Several of the blades were broken and some were bent near the tip in the direction opposite of rotation. Metallurgical examination of the right turbocharger revealed that the turbine wheel assembly failed due to a fatigue fracture of one of the turbine wheel blades, which led to an imbalance of the turbine wheel.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb
- Engine shutdown during approach
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Turbocharging (recip only) › Turbocharger › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,220 hours in all; 2,902 in this make and model; 112 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days; 6,461 as pilot in command; 782 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 7, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,513 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 14, 2010; 154 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,300 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MEM Memphis TN at 10:20 pm
- Destination: NEW New Orleans LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 18, 6,503 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from GWO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.