Piper PA-46-310P accident near Naples, Florida, June 19, 2002
On June 19, 2002 at about 1:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N9127L, was destroyed in an accident near Naples, Florida (Naples Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above the stall speed while maneuvering to land after the engine ceased operating for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a stall/spin, an uncontrolled descent, and an impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 19, 2002 · about 1:58 pm local time
- Place
- Naples, Florida · Naples Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9127L · no longer on the register · serial 4608102
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An annual inspection had been completed on the airplane the same day, and on its first flight after the annual inspection, as the airplane was departing from runway 05, at Naples Municipal Airport, witnesses said the engine ceased operating. They also said that the propeller was rotating either slowly or had stopped, and they then observed the airplane enter a steep turn, followed by an abrupt and uncontrolled nose-low descent and subsequent impact with the ground. The airplane came to rest in a nose-low, near vertical position, suspended at its tail section by a fence and some trees along the eastern perimeter of the airport. It had incurred substantial damage and the pilot and two passengers who were onboard the airplane were fatally injured. Postaccident examination of the airframe, flight controls and the engine did not reveal any mechanical failure or malfunction. The flaps were found to have been set to 10 degrees, and the propeller showed little or no evidence of rotation at impact. The FAA Toxicology Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicological studies on specimens obtained from the pilot and the results showed that diphenhydramine was found to be present in urine, and 0.139 (ug/ml, ug/g) diphenhydramine was detected in blood. Diphenhydramine, commonly known by the trade name Benadryl, is an over-the-counter antihistamine with sedative side effects, and is commonly used to treat allergy symptoms. Published research (Weiler et. al. Effects of Fexofenadine, Diphenhydramine, and Alcohol on Driving Performance. Annals of Internal Medicine 2000; 132:354-363), has noted the effect of a maximal over the counter dose of diphenhydramine to be worse than the effect of a 0.10% blood alcohol level on certain measures of simulated driving performance. The level of diphenydramine in the blood of the pilot was consistent with recent use of more than a typical maximum single over-the-counter dose of the medication.
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: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,643.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 19, 2002; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,116 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-BE2G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 1:58 pm
- Destination: PIE St. Petersberg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from APF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.