Piper PA32 accident near Greenville, South Carolina, November 24, 2020
On November 24, 2020 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA32, registered N5566J, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern downwind) near Greenville, South Carolina (Donaldson Field Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power due to the pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2020 · about 8:30 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Greenville, South Carolina · Donaldson Field Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32 260, built 1968 · all PA32s on the register
- Registration
- N5566J · registry record · serial 32-994
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after performing two takeoffs and landings, he was instructed to extend the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. During the extended downwind leg, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to restore full power (actions which included applying carburetor heat), and turned directly to the airport while notifying the tower controller of his emergency. The airplane subsequently collided with a building during a descending turn. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the weather conditions at the accident airport revealed that the weather conditions at the time were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide power settings. Given this information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to an accumulation of ice in the carburetor, and that the pilot’s application of carburetor heat after the engine had begun to lose power was insufficient to restore the power before the airplane impacted the ground.
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
- Fuel related during approach (VFR pattern downwind) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Ice/rain protection system › Intake anti › ice, deice › Not used/operated other cases naming the heating, ice protection and utility systems
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 3, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,208 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 2020; 45 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4C5 (piston); 1,324 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LQK Pickens SC at 8:00 pm
- Destination: GYH Greenville SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 3:17 pm from GYH, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KGYH 242017Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/M01 A3031
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – FAA Photo of airplane on side of building inverted in parking area. Picture shows damage to the entire airframe.
Photo 2 – FAA photo of left wing on top of building structure buckled.The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on September 27, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Witness Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Engine Examination | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Carburetor Icing Prevention Saib CE-09-35 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N5566J on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4C5 15 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Donaldson Field · nearest airport
- Pickens County · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in South Carolina 1,036 since 1982 · 173 in the last ten years
- South Carolina 3,113 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA21LA054.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.