19970501007389A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22-108 · Russellville, AL · May 1, 1997

Date: May 1, 1997 · 11:00 local
Place: Russellville, AL
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5778Z
NTSB investigation: NTSBATL97LA066
Reported as: Piper PA22108
Reported engine: Lycoming O235C1B
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 140 total45 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days

N5778ZRegistered now · Piper PA-22-108S/N 22-9623 · Built 1963 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-108 Engine modelLycoming 0-235 series4 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Made long descent sans carb heat lost power. Landed on road. Hit sign. Swerved into ditch. (-23) on may 1, 1997, N5778Z departed quincy la, intending to stop for fuel at muscle shoals (MSL), AL. Nearly four hours into the flight N5778Z started losing power during the descent into MSL. PIC barnhill was able to restore power for brief periods by pumping the throttle. Barnhill started to divert to russelville airport (M22) but decided to land on a highway five miles west of Russellville airport when it became apparent that he couldn't make it to M22. During the landing roll-out the right wing hit a road sign which pivoted the airplane 90 degrees to the right and into a ditch, nosing over onto its back.

As the FAA filed it

MADE LONG DESCENT SANS CARB HEAT LOST POWER. LANDED ON ROAD. HIT SIGN. SWERVED INTO DITCH. (-23) ON MAY 1, 1997, N5778Z DEPARTED QUINCY LA, INTENDING TO STOP FOR FUEL AT MUSCLE SHOALS (MSL), AL. NEARLY FOUR HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT N5778Z STARTED LOSING POWER DURING THE DESCENT INTO MSL. PIC BARNHILL WAS ABLE TO RESTORE POWER FOR BRIEF PERIODS BY PUMPING THE THROTTLE. BARNHILL STARTED TO DIVERT TO RUSSELVILLE AIRPORT (M22) BUT DECIDED TO LAND ON A HIGHWAY FIVE MILES WEST OF RUSSELLVILLE AIRPORT WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE COULDN'T MAKE IT TO M22. DURING THE LANDING ROLL-OUT THE RIGHT WING HIT A ROAD SIGN WHICH PIVOTED THE AIRPLANE 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT AND INTO A DITCH, NOSING OVER ONTO ITS BACK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL97LA066Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRussellville, ALThe loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A factor was conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.May 1, 1997 · Substantial damage