Piper PA-31-350 incident near Tallahassee, Florida, April 3, 1982
On April 3, 1982, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N41045, suffered minor damage in an incident near Tallahassee, Florida (Tallahassee Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 3, 1982
- Place
- Tallahassee, Florida · Tallahassee Municipal · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N41045 · no longer on the register · serial 31-8252020
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT 8000 FEET, THE RIGHT ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED THE REQUIRED PROCEDURES FOR AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE NOTICED AN AREA OF DISCOLORATION ON THE INBOARD NACELLE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE AND SAW FLAMES INSIDE THE NACELLE. THE PILOT SECURED THE ENGINE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND MADE A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING AT TALLAHASSEE, FL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A BROKEN TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST CLAMP WHICH ALLOWED THE EXHAUST TUBE TO SEPARATE FROM THE TURBO. HIGH TEMPERATURE EXHAUST GASES THEN STARTED THE FIRE WHICH DISABLED THE ALTERNATOR WIRING. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THIS CLAMP AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HAD FAILED INDICATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE DUE TO HIGH TEMPERATURE EMBRITTLEMENT. THE LACK OF HIGH TEMPERATURE DUCTILITY WAS ATTRIBUTED TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT WHEN THE CLAMPS WERE MANUFACTURED.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,584 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 1,405 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 63 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 63 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Moore Data Systems, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL at 6:15 pm
- Destination: BTR Baton Rouge LA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Other NTSB records under N41045 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.