Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA28 near San Juan, PR — 2017-07-04

Final reportERA17LA227
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Date
2017-07-04
Location
San Juan, PR, USA
Airport
SIG
Aircraft
PIPER PA28
Registration
N9427J
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined and the pilot's subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, before the local, personal flight, the airplane was fueled and that he performed a preflight inspection and an engine run-up with no issues noted. The takeoff was normal; however, during the initial climb, about 250 ft above ground level, the engine started to run roughly and lose power. The engine did not respond to throttle inputs. The pilot contacted the air traffic control tower and stated that he intended to return to the departure airport to land. He did not recall the remainder of the accident sequence. A passenger, who was also a certificated pilot, stated that, as the pilot was turning the airplane left back to the airport, he saw that the airspeed was decreasing and that the stall warning light was flashing. Subsequently, the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall and spun into a canal. A review of a video taken by a witness corroborated the passenger's account. Examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Sound spectrum analysis of onboard video revealed that the engine rpm decreased by about 300 and then increased by about 300 twice but then remained steady near full power for about 6 seconds before impact. The reason for the rpm changes could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted takeoff upon initial engine roughness.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • Photos
  • 10 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents10

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