Piper PA-28-140 accident near Orlando, Florida, September 18, 1990
On September 18, 1990 at about 7:56 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N7229F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Orlando, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 1990 · about 7:56 pm local time
- Place
- Orlando, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7229F · no longer on the register · serial 28-25142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED INITIALLY THAT DURING THE DOWNWIND LEG, HE ADVISED THE PLT RATED PASSENGER IN THE LT SEAT (WHO HAD 1.3 HRS TT MAKE & MODEL), TO REPOSITION THE FUEL SELECTOR, WHICH HE DID. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, THE ENG QUIT. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. DURING THE DESCENT, THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A POWERLINE THEN CRASHED ONTO A BUILDING. POST CRASH EXAM OF THE ACFT BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS OFF. ACCORDING TO A WRITTEN REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE PLT, THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS TURNED OFF AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO REST. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE ACFT, THE ENG OPERATED NORMALLY DURING THE POST CRASH ENG RUN.
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: 467 hours in all; 168 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 355 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Dialco Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:03 pm from ORL
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.
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.