Piper PA-31-325 accident near Springboro, Ohio, June 19, 1996
On June 19, 1996 at about 12:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-325, registered N62852, was destroyed in an accident near Springboro, Ohio (Wright Brothers Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's impairment of judgment and performance due to drugs which led to spatial disorientation and a loss of aircraft control. The weather was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 1996 · about 12:10 pm local time
- Place
- Springboro, Ohio · Wright Brothers Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-325 · all PA-31-325s on the register
- Registration
- N62852 · no longer on the register · serial 31-7612089
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The parents of the pilot/owner stated that he arrived late in the afternoon prior to the accident. They stayed up with their son until approximately 0100 the morning of the accident. They stated that their son was a doctor and kept a busy schedule. The son told the parents that he had to fly back in order to have new fuel cells installed in the airplane and to work at his clinic. The pilot was airborne by 0700. The weather at his destination had low ceilings and fog restricting the visibility. The pilot was cleared by ATC to fly the localizer approach to the runway. The pilot called his position at the outer marker on the unicom frequency and no further transmissions were heard. Witnesses on the airport heard and saw the bottom of the airplane and stated that the airplane's engines sounded normal as it went overhead. Radar data showed that the airplane's altitude fluctuated and ground speed decreased significantly during the missed approach flight path. The airplane impacted the ground in approximately 40-degree nose-low, right wing down attitude. The toxicology report revealed 0.005 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol (Marihuana) in the blood, and 0.013 ug/ml and 0.017 ug/ml Tetrahydrocannabinol Carboxylic Acid (Marihuana) in the blood and kidney fluid respectively.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,198 hours in all; 701 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 1,150 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,252 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 12, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-F2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: C20 Berrien Springs MI at 12:00 pm
- Destination: MGY Dayton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 4,981 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 1.2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from DAY, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.