Piper PA-23-250 accident near Pembroke Pines, Florida, November 15, 1989
On November 15, 1989 at about 6:04 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N15LH, was destroyed in an accident near Pembroke Pines, Florida (North Perry airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE ANNUAL INSPECTION BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY THE PILOT, WHICH RESULTED IN FAILURE TO DETECT WATER AND CONTAMINATION (RESIDUE) IN THE FUEL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: FAILURE OF THE PLT TO FEATHER THE PROPELLERS AND A FENCE IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 15, 1989 · about 6:04 pm local time
- Place
- Pembroke Pines, Florida · North Perry · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N15LH · registry record · serial 27-2139
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF, THE ACFT WAS MANEUVERED DOWNWIND ABOUT 1/2 MI SOUTH OF THE ARPT AT APRX 1000' AGL. WHEN THE ACFT WAS ABEAM MID-FIELD, THE PLT REQUESTED CLNC TO LAND BACK ON THE ARPT. HE WAS CLRD FOR RIGHT TRAFFIC TO LAND ON RWY 9R & WAS ASKED IF HE HAD ANY DIFFICULTIES. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLT REPLIED THAT BOTH ENGS HAD LOST POWER. HE TURNED TOWARD THE ARPT, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REACH THE RWY. DRG AN EMERG LANDING, THE ACFT HIT A CHAIN LINK FENCE & WAS EXTENSIVELY DMGD.AN EXAM REVEALED THERE WAS WATER & RESIDUE IN THE FUEL SYS. THE OWNER HAD PURCHASED THE PREVIOUSLY SEIZED ACFT AT A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT SALE. UNTIL THE DAY OF THE ACDNT, THE ACFT HAD NOT BEEN REFUEL SINCE IT WAS LAST FLOWN ON 7/27/89. AN ANNUAL INSPN HAD BEEN COMPLETED ON 9/22/89. THE ACDNT FLT WAS THE 1ST FLT AFTER THE ANNUAL INSPN & IT LASTED APRX 4 MIN. NEITHER PROP WAS FEATHERED AFTER THE ENGS LOST POWER.
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
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,019 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 22, 1989
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hilderbrand Aero Services
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Hollywood FL at 6:00 pm
- Destination: OPF Miami FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R, 3,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:48 pm from FLL, 5 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA90FA027.