Piper PA-30 accident near Goldsboro, North Carolina, December 28, 1996
On December 28, 1996 at about 3:27 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8220Y, was destroyed in an accident near Goldsboro, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to follow instrument approach procedures during numerous instrument approaches and missed approaches which resuled in a total loss of engine power on both engines due to fuel exhaustion. Factors contributing to the accident were: the pilot's failure to obtain a weather briefing prior to his departure and his lack of recent instrument flight experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 28, 1996 · about 3:27 pm local time
- Place
- Goldsboro, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8220Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1348
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Review of transcripts revealed the pilot departed Baltimore, Maryland VFR at about 0746 to obtain fuel locally for a cross country flight to Florida. No flight plan or weather briefing had been filed or obtained prior to departure. The pilot was unable to land, encountered IFR flight conditions and filed an IFR flight plan to Florida. En route, the pilot diverted to another airport for fuel. He was cleared for an ILS approach and informed prior to beginning the approach that the weather was below minimums. The pilot made a missed approach, and informed the controller a short time later that he had lost one engine. The controller coordinated with the U.S. Air Force to allow the pilot to conduct a PAR approach, and declared the airplane an emergency. The pilot was cleared for a PAR approach. The approach was terminated by the controller, the changed to a surveillance approach which resulted in a missed approach. The pilot was vectored for another PAR approach, and it was subsequently changed to a no gyro approach. The controller informed the pilot he was too far left for a safe approach, and to climb to 1800 and fly a heading of 260 degrees. Radar contact was lost 1 mile southwest of the airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the fuel tanks were not ruptured and that no fuel was present. Also, a review of the pilots logbook revealed he did not meet FAA instrument recurrency requirements.
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: 2,697 hours in all; 1,151 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 2,580 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,911 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1996; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming LIO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BWI Baltimore MD at 12:46 pm
- Destination: GSB NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from ISO, 15 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.
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.