Piper PA-34-220T accident near West Milton, Ohio, November 15, 1996
On November 15, 1996 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N8468H, was destroyed in an accident near West Milton, Ohio. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to maintain aircraft control after an undetermined failure of the automatic flight control. A contributing factor was failure of the maintenance technician to have the airplane test flown prior to release.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1996 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Milton, Ohio · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8468H · no longer on the register · serial 34-8233038
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger were dropped off to pick up the pilot's airplane, after a new Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) unit had been installed. After takeoff, the pilot stated to the flight instructor over the Unicom frequency that he was having problems with his trim and was heading for Dayton. Before contacting the Dayton Airport, the pilot stated the airplane had a full deflection of elevator down trim, and he was having difficulty holding his altitude. The instructor asked if he had pulled the circuit breaker for the trim, and the pilot answered yes. Shortly thereafter the airplane impacted into a farm field in a near vertical attitude. The King KLN 89 GPS unit was wired to the number one VOR and the autopilot in such a manner that the GPS could be coupled to the autopilot. According to the technician, after installation the system was checked on the ground and found to be operational. The repair technician failed to have the aircraft test flown in accordance with FAR 91.407 (b) prior to releasing it to the pilot.
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
- Flight time: 626 hours in all; 56 in this make and model; 33 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 485 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 8, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I62 Brookville OH
- Destination: AOH Lima OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N8468H the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.