Piper PA-31-350 accident near Beverly, Massachusetts, June 20, 2005
On June 20, 2005 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N615SN, was substantially damaged in an accident near Beverly, Massachusetts (Beverly Municipal Airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point while conducting a precautionary landing. A factor was the partial loss of power to one engine for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 20, 2005 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Beverly, Massachusetts · Beverly Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N615SN · no longer on the register · serial 31-8052094
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was test flying the airplane after recent maintenance was performed on the engines. During initial climbout, the left engine began to surge, and most of its power was lost. The air traffic control tower radioed to the pilot that heavy black smoke was trailing from the left engine, and that he was cleared to return to the airport. The pilot initiated a left turn, and continued to climb to approximately 600 feet. He then initiated a "short approach" back to the airport because he believed that the left engine might have been on fire. The airplane touched down "hard" in a grass area to the right of the runway, rolled across a taxiway, and sheared off the landing gear, before coming to rest. The pilot additionally stated on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, Recommendation (How Could This Accident Have Been Prevented), "Possibly more single engine training, and on a regular basis to stay more proficient." After the accident, the left engine was examined and test run, with no abnormalities noted.
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: 1,210 hours in all; 102 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,394.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2005; 2.8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,386 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BVY Beverly MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 4,634 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from BVY
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.