# Accident 19970605013739A: Piper PA28180, Columbus, MS, June 5, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 5, 1997, 14:30 local time
- Place: Columbus, MS
- Airport: Columbus-Lowndes County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 33.3931° N, 88.3762° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from the FAA’s distance and direction from , within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3931&lon=-88.3762&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7581W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7581W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28180
- Reported engine: LYC O360A4A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 153 total, 4 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL97LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA084) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970605013739A

## Narrative

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

PREPURCHASE DEMO FLIGHT. LOST POWER LANDED SHORT AG STRIP. SEAL ON LANDING LIGHT ON FILTER FLAKED OFF BLOCKED CARB. (-23) ON 06/06/97 THIS OFFICE DID AN ON SCENE INVESTIGATION OF THIS ACCIDENT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT.  A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE IN A CORN FIELD.  THE LEFT OUTBOARD WING HAD MAJOR DAMAGE, THE NOSE ASSY. WAS DAMAGED, THE ENGINE MOUNT FRAME WAS DAMAGED, THE PROPELLER WAS DAMAGED, AND THE FIREWALL WAS DAMAGED.  THE AIRCRAFT HAD NO FUEL ON BOARD, AND THE ENGINE WAS GETTING FUEL, COULD NOT GET LEFT OR RIGHT MAGNETO TO PRODUCE A SPARK AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE.  THE MAGNETO'S WORKED FINE AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED TO AIRPORT.  THE IGNITION SWITCH IS SUSPECTED OF MALFUNCTIONING, HOWEVER IT WORKED AFTER THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVED.

## 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 ATL97LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA084), Jun 5, 1997: Piper PA-28-180 (N7581W), Columbus, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: inadequate maintenance/inspection and subsequent corrosion of the air filter, which resulted in pieces of the air filter to block the intake to the carburetor and result in loss of engine power. A…

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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