# Accident 19950715018499A: Piper PA32300, Jefferson Count, MO, July 15, 1995

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 15, 1995
- Place: Jefferson Count, MO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Location: 38.2207° N, 90.4000° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.2207&lon=-90.4000&mi=10
- Aircraft: N82CA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N82CA-1997-05-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI95FA226](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95FA226) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950715018499A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

CRASHED INTO CREEK. (-4)SEVERAL WITNESSES WHO OBSERVED THE TAXI, RUNUP, AND TAKEOFF, REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BACKFIRING AND 'SNAPPING' OUT OF THE EXHAUST PIPE DURING THE RUNUP.  IN HIS WRITTEN STATEMENT THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BACKFIRING DURING THE ENGINE START AND TAXI.  HE ASKED THE MECHANIC, WHO WAS ALSO A PASSENGER IN THE AIRPLANE, 'IS THAT A PROBLEM?'  THE MECHANIC RESPONDED THAT 'IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD JUST COMPLETED THE ENGINE RUN.'  THE AIRPLANE APPEARED TO HAVE 'NORMAL' ACCELERATION DURING THE TAKEOFF RUN.  IMMEDIATELY AFTER ROTATION, HE 'NOTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT ACCELERATING...AFTER CLEARING A SECOND LINE OF TREES, I PUT THE NOSE DOWN BRIEFLY TRYING TO GAIN SOME AIRSPEED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO LOSE AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE...THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING HIT A TREE.'  EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED ALL TWELVE SPARK PLUGS WERE SEVERELY WORN AND FOULED WITH LEAD AND CARBON DEPOSITS.  THE RIGHT MAGNETO WAS MODERATELY FOULED WITH OIL AND HAD CARBON TRACKS IN THE DISTRIBUTOR.  AIRCRAFT LOG BOOKS INDICATED THE ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI95FA226](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI95FA226), Jul 15, 1995: Piper PA-32-300 (N82CA), Festus, MO, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: an improper annual inspection, the fouled spark plugs, the arcing magneto distributor, and the pilot's attempt to take off with known deficiencies.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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