Piper PA-32 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, May 20, 1996
On May 20, 1996 at about 6:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-32, registered N9164B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed (VSO) while maneuvering during a go-around, resulting in an inadvertent stall and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to achieve the proper touchdown point during an emergency landing, his decision to make a go-around with a known mechanical deficiency (partial loss of engine power) due to the improper installation of the piston plugs during assembly of the engine by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 20, 1996 · about 6:35 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 · all PA-32s on the register
- Registration
- N9164B · no longer on the register · serial 3206047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot made an emergency landing to an airport after informing ATC that the engine had sustained a partial loss of engine power. Witnesses observed the airplane touch down extremely fast, long, and initiate a go-around. The airplane was observed in a nose high, climbing right turn, and a lack of airspeed. The nose dropped down, and the airplane collided with the trees and terrain in a nose down attitude. Disassembly of the engine revealed the piston plugs on the Nos.3 and 5 cylinders were installed on the forward sides of both pistons. This allowed the unprotected ends of the pins to rub against the cylinder walls. The remaining cylinder assemblies were correctly installed. Review of the engine logbook revealed the engine had not been disassembled since assembly by the manufacturer.
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: 1,450 hours in all; 425 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,325 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 761 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 17, 1995; 65 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG at 6:30 pm
- Destination: VRB Verro Beach FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:40 pm from CRG, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.