Piper PA-31-310 accident near Miami, Florida, July 17, 1998
On July 17, 1998 at about 6:31 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N7578L, was destroyed in an accident near Miami, Florida (Kendall-Tamiami Executive airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which led to fuel contamination and subsequent loss of engine power. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain single engine flying speed (VMC).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 1998 · about 6:31 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Kendall-Tamiami Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N7578L · no longer on the register · serial 31-7401201
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
An aircraft mechanic working abeam of the point on the runway that the airplane lifted off was attracted by the sound of engine roughness, and observed black smoke trailing from the left engine. The airplane continued to climb to about 150 feet above ground level, entered a series of shallow left turns at about the airport's east boundary at a slow speed, and then entered a rapid left roll and pitched down. The pilot transmitted an unreadable call on FAA tower frequency, but the words, 'we got a..' and 'engine' were clearly discernable. The airplane crashed in dense brush about 1.25 miles northeast of the airport. Contamination was found in the left engine fuel system. Post crash testing of the left fuel servo revealed it would not sustain a steady state fuel flow above about one half throttle due to contamination.
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, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMB at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 5,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:45 pm from TMB, 1 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.