Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA 32-300 near Pompano Beach, FL — 2018-03-01

Final reportERA18LA102
Sign in to save
Date
2018-03-01
Location
Pompano Beach, FL, USA
Airport
PMP
Aircraft
PIPER PA 32-300
Registration
N54476
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach and landing speed during a precautionary landing following a loss of manifold pressure for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff while climbing through 800 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine manifold pressure began to drop, and the engine “sounded irregular.” The pilot initiated a return to the airport and requested to land. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that the engine did not respond when the throttle was reduced during the landing approach. The airplane continued toward the runway at high speed and touched down within the last third of the runway surface, where it bounced several times. The pilot first pulled the mixture control to idle/cut off, but when the engine did not respond, richened the mixture, applied full throttle, and initiated an aborted landing. The airplane became airborne, entered a right bank, and began to descend before impacting the ramp near a hangar, resulting in substantial damage. The wind conditions at the time of the accident were consistent with a quartering tailwind of about 8 knots for the landing runway. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies, and the reasons for the initial loss of manifold pressure could not be determined based on the available information. However, the circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack after the airplane became airborne, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with the ramp.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted the takeoff after engine issues were noted.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • 7 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents7

Related mishaps