Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28R-201T near Williston, FL — 2012-05-05

Final reportERA12LA340
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Date
2012-05-05
Location
Williston, FL, USA
Airport
X60
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28R-201T
Registration
N442G
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Initial climb

Probable cause

Loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination and testing, which included a successful postaccident engine run.

NTSB narrative

After completing a local sightseeing flight and two touch-and-go landings at a nearby airport, the pilot departed to return to the airplane’s base airport. During takeoff, at an altitude of about 400 feet above ground level, the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane toward a grassy area and performed a gear-up landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airframe revealed that both fuel tanks were about half full of fuel. A successful postaccident test run of the engine failed to reveal any evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure. Additionally, the weather conditions at the time of the accident were not conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at high power settings.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel selector before takeoff to ensure proper fuel supply.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 5 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents5

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