Piper PA-46-310P accident near Destin, Florida, January 1, 1994
On January 1, 1994 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N243KW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Destin, Florida (Destin-Ft Walton Beach airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AIRSPEED NOT MAINTAINED, INADVERTENT STALL/MUSH, AND ALTITUDE INADEQUATE FOR RECOVERY FROM THE INFLIGHT LOSS OF CONTROL BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND WHILE CIRCLING FOR LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 1994 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Destin, Florida · Destin-Ft Walton Beach · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N243KW · no longer on the register · serial 46-8508089
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS EXECUTING AN ASR APPROACH TO RUNWAY 32 AND 9 SECONDS AFTER THE APPROACH CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT THAT THE FLIGHT WAS OVER THE MISSED APPROACH POINT, THE PILOT ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IN SIGHT AND HE WOULD BE CIRCLING TO LAND. THE CONTROLLER ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND WITNESSES OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE FLYING NORTHWESTERLY WEST OF RUNWAY 32 ABOUT 150-200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THEY THEN OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ENTER A LEFT BANK BETWEEN 60-80 DEGREES AND THE AIRPLANE PITCHED NOSE DOWN AND COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN A FENCE AND THE GROUND. THERE WAS A SMALL POST CRASH FIRE WHICH WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED AND PLACED ON A TEST BENCH AND AFTER REPLACEMENT OF SEVERAL COMPONENTS WHICH WERE IMPACT DAMAGED, THE ENGINE STARTED AND OPERATED NORMALLY. THE PASSENGER WAS SEATED IN THE FURTHEST AFT RIGHT SEAT AND THE LAP BELT ATTACH POINT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS SEAT FAILED DUE TO OVERLOAD.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 1,262 in this make and model; 46 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,262 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 1992; 139 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-520BE (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 5:48 pm
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 14, 4,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 3 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:38 pm from VPS, 6 miles away
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.