Piper PA-32-300 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, January 17, 1989
On January 17, 1989 at about 11:30 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4763T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE #5 CONNECTING ROD BOLT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: DARK NIGHT AND THE SOFT AND WET (MARSHY) TERRAIN CONDITIONS IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 17, 1989 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4763T · no longer on the register · serial 32-7240088
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, HE HEARD A 'POP' & THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. HE TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT. ABOUT 2 MIN LATER, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE, WHICH WAS FOLLOWED BY A PROGRESSIVE LOSS OF ALL POWER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT NIGHT IN A MARSHY AREA ABOUT 1 TO 2 MI FROM THE AIRPORT. AN EXAM OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE #5 CONNECTING ROD CAP BOLT HAD FAILED, WHICH RESULTED IN FURTHER DAMAGE OF THE ENGINE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,623 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 1,451 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,628 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SPG St Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from FMY, 2 miles away
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.