# Accident 19971125043989A: Piper PA28140, Middlefield, OH, November 25, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 25, 1997, 10:50 local time
- Place: Middlefield, OH
- Airport: Geauga County Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.4507° N, 81.0703° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.4507&lon=-81.0703&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1816J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1816J-2002-04-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320E2A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,575 total, 1,300 in this make and model, 11 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC98LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA032) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971125043989A

## Narrative

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

POWER LOSS ON TAKEOFF. COLLIDED WITH TREES AND POWER LINES. CONDITIONS EXSISTED FOR CARB. ICE. (.4)DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER A NORMAL TAKEOFF, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A GRADUAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. WHILE TURNING TO AVOID SOME HOUSES, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK POWER LINES AND IMPACTED TERRAIN. EXAMINATION OF THE LOG BOOKS REVEALED THIS WAS THE AIRPLANE'S FIRST FLIGHT SINCE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED. AT THAT TIME, THE AIRPLANE'S CARBURETOR WAS REMOVED, DISASSEMBLED AND IT'S TWO PIECE VENTURI WAS REPLACED WITH A ONE PIECE VENTURI, PER PRECISION AIRMOTIVE SERVICE BULLETIN # MSA-2. ALSO, THE AIRPLANE HAD NOT BEEN FLOWN FOR OVER A MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ON-SCENE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REVEAL ANY EVIDENCE OF A PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. AN ENGINE RUN-UP AND A CARBURETOR TEAR-DOWN AND FLOW CHECK DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY EVIDENCE OF MALFUNCTION. AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE WAS BEING USED AS FUEL PER A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE. AT AN AIRPORT ABOUT 21 MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, THE WIND WAS REPORTED TO BE FROM 200 DEGREES AT 11 GUSTING 17 KNOTS. THE TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT WERE REP                                                       ORTED TO BE 34 AND 23 DEGREES, RESPECTIVELY. ACCORDING TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS, CONDITIONS WERE CONDUCTIVE TO POSSIBLE CARBURETOR ICING; HOWEVER, CARBURETOR ICING WAS NOT VERIFIED.  THE PILOT HAD CHECKED THE CARBURETOR HEAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, BUT DID NOT REPORT ENGAGING IT AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED LOSING POWER.                                                             (-23) PILOT BACK TAXIED ON RUNWAY FOR DEPARTURE OFF RUNWAY 28 AT 7G8, GEAUGA COUNTY AIRPORT, MIDDLEFIELD, OHIO.  AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK POWERLINES AND TREES APPROX. 3/10 MILES WSW OF THE AIRPORT.   A WITNESS SAID THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING ROUGH ON TAKE-OFF.  2 WITNESSES IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT THE SCENE NOTED NO ENGINE NOISE WAS HEARD AS THEY VIEWED THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE POWER LINES.  THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND AT AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.  THE CAUSE OF ENGINE POWER LOSS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION

## 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 NYC98LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC98LA032), Nov 25, 1997: Piper PA-28-140 (N1816J), Middlefield, OH, substantial damage. Probable cause: loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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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