Piper PA-30 accident near Fernandina Bch, Florida, April 4, 2004
On April 4, 2004 at about 8:06 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N14A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fernandina Bch, Florida (Fernandina Beach Municipal airport). 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 failure of the pilot to feather the left propeller and his failure to maintain control of the airplane following a loss of engine power from the left engine resulting in the in-flight collision with terrain. A factor in the accident was the loss of power from the left engine for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 4, 2004 · about 8:06 pm local time
- Place
- Fernandina Bch, Florida · Fernandina Beach Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N14A · registry record · serial 30-1208
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was fueled on the day of the accident; the fuel from the fuel truck was contaminant free. No rain was reported at a nearby airport from the time the airplane landed the day before, to the time of departure. After takeoff with the landing gear retracted, the flight climbed to approximately 200 feet, banked left, then quickly to the right. One witness briefly heard a sputtering sound. The airplane was observed to bank to the left, and impacted the ground while in a 25-30 degree left wing low and nose-low attitude. No smoke was noted trailing the airplane in-flight. Both main and auxiliary fuel tanks were ruptured. Examination of the flight controls, and each engine core revealed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The left propeller was not feathered. Corrosion and a small amount of debris were noted inside the left engine-driven fuel pump. Internal contamination, and corrosion was noted for both servo fuel injectors (fuel servo). Drops of water were noted in the regulator area of the left fuel servo. During troubleshooting for rough running engines in June 2002, a slight amount of water was detected in the fuel tanks; no repairs or work was performed to the airplane's fuel tanks or fuel caps between the troubleshooting date, and March 26, 2004. The pilot noted discrepancies with the fuel injectors on 2 separate flights in October 2003; no corrective action for either entry was taken. During the last annual inspection, a broken screw was removed from a nut plate in the left main fuel cell access hole plate assembly, the left main fuel tank fuel cell cover plate upper gasket was replaced, and both fuel quantity senders were removed, cleaned, and reinstalled with "new hardware." During the accident flight in a six-second period, the EGT readings for each cylinder of the left engine decreased on average approximately 659 degrees Fahrenheit, while the right engine EGT readings remained nearly the same. Testing of a six cylinder engine to determine the EGT drop with reduction to idle and sudden combustion cessation revealed the temperature drops were 86 and 177 degrees, respectively. Postaccident weight and balance calculations revealed the airplane gross weight at the time the engines were started was approximately 3,788 pounds, and the center of gravity (CG) was 89.66 inches; the weight and CG calculations did not include the weight of fuel found in the left tip tank. A limitation for the airplane was that any weight in excess of 3,650 pounds must be carried symmetrically as fuel in the tip tanks.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 643 hours in all; 151 in this make and model; 549 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,689.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2004; 8.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Textron Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 55J Fernandina Bch FL at 8:01 pm
- Destination: KBUY Burlington NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 4,999 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 8:05 pm from 55J
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 N14A 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.