Piper PA-28-180 accident near Quincy, Florida, April 21, 1995
On April 21, 1995 at about 9:03 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N3995R, was destroyed in an accident near Quincy, Florida (Quincy Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN UNDETERMINED FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM THAT RESULTED IN A FUEL LEAK, AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE, AND A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. A FACTOR RELATING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING. AN EXHAUST LEAK FROM THE FRACTURE OF AN IMPROPERLY WELDED BAFFLE TUBE MAY HAVE BEEN THE SOURCE OF IGNITION FOR THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 21, 1995 · about 9:03 pm local time
- Place
- Quincy, Florida · Quincy Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N3995R · no longer on the register · serial 28-7105099
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS HEARD TO PERFORM AN ENGINE RUN-UP BEFORE DEPARTURE. THE FLIGHT THEN DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL TANKS AND ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, CLIMBED TO ABOUT 200-300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. A WITNESS NEAR THE CRASH SITE OBSERVED BLACK SMOKE TRAILING THE ENGINE AREA, AND ANOTHER WITNESS HEARD THE ENGINE 'BACKFIRING AND SPUTTERING.' THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES THEN THE GROUND WHILE DESCENDING, AND A POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT REVEALED SEVERE (FIRE) DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL ADJACENT TO THE 2 ELECTRIC FUEL PUMPS AND GASCOLATOR, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT (INTERNAL) ENGINE FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND. THE EXAMINATION ALSO REVEALED THAT THE #1 CYLINDER BAFFLE TUBE HAD FAILED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ALONG A WELD AT THE END PLATE OF THE MUFFLER WITH EVIDENCE OF STRESS CORROSION CRACKING. ALSO, CARBON MONOXIDE WAS DETECTED IN THE PILOT AND TWO OF THE PASSENGERS; ALTHOUGH, NO EVIDENCE OF SOOT DEPOSITION OR BURNING OF THE LARYNX WAS NOTED IN ANY OF THE FIVE OCCUPANTS.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,256 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,941 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1994; 51 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2J9 at 9:00 pm
- Destination: LHC Arlington TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from TLH, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.