Piper PA-28-140 accident near Beverly, Massachusetts, December 21, 1996
On December 21, 1996 at about 4:22 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N7246F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beverly, Massachusetts (Beverly Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
loss of engine power for undetermined reason(s), and failure of the pilot to maintain adequate airspeed, while maneuvering for a forced landing, which resulted in a stall and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 21, 1996 · about 4:22 pm local time
- Place
- Beverly, Massachusetts · Beverly Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7246F · no longer on the register · serial 28-25162
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the air traffic controller, the pilot had completed a touch-and-go landing and was on climb-out, when he reported having engine difficulty. The airplane was at approximately 500 feet. After the pilot was cleared to land, the airplane turned left and banked about 90 degrees. A witness stated that the airplane 'seemed to fall backwards to the ground.' He stated the airplane was in a nose high altitude, about 50 degrees above the horizon. The airplane then seemed to fall off over the left wing and make a slight rotation. He did not hear any sound from the airplane. The airplane impacted the ground in a nose down attitude. No airframe or engine anomaly was noted during a post-accident examination of the aircraft wreckage.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 230 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 178 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,900 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 20, 1996; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVY at 3:22 pm
- Destination: BVY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 4,634 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:45 pm from BVY
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.