# Accident 19980419007079A: Piper PA28140, Kalamazoo, MI, April 19, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 19, 1998, 22:09 local time
- Place: Kalamazoo, MI
- Airport: Kalamazoo County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.1994° N, 85.5602° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.1994&lon=-85.5602&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1762J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1762J-1998-11-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320D2A
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 4
- Pilot flight hours: 192 total, 57 in this make and model, 52 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98FA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA130) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980419007079A

## Narrative

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

(.4)WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE AIRPLANE LIFTOFF RUNWAY 5 PAST THE RUNWAY 17/35 INTERSECTION LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 3108 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 5. RUNWAY 5 IS 3,999 FEET LONG.  WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO 250 TO 300 FEET WHEN THE AIRPLANE ROLLED LEFT AND WENT STRAIGHT DOWN.  THE AIRPLANE BURST INTO FLAMES AND THE COCKPIT AND FUSELAGE WERE CONSUMED BY FIRE.  CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED TO THE FLIGHT CONTROLS.  THE PROPELLER EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE CHORDWISE SCRATCHING AND GOUGES TO THE LEADING EDGES OF THE BLADES.  BOTH BLADES EXHIBITED TORSIONAL TWISTING AND WERE BENT BACK.  THE IMPACT OF THE PROPELLER ON THE TAXIWAY LEFT A SHALLOW 'U' SHAPED IMPRESSION ABOUT 0.5 INCH DEEP IN THE TAXIWAY ASPHALT.  THE PILOT AND THE THREE ADULT PASSENGERS HAD A COMBINED WEIGHT OF ABOUT 730 POUNDS.  THE AIRPLANE WAS APPROXIMATELY 164 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF.  THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WITH A 4 KNOT LEFT QUARTERING TAILWIND.           (-23) PILOT DEPARTED RWY 5 (A20) AT OR NEAR GROSS WT. 3 KT.  QUARTERING TAILWIND AT SURFACE.  AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FT AGL AT DEPARTURE END OF RWY 5.  AIRCRAFT STALLED AND ENTERED A SPIN TO THE LEFT. AIRCRAFT CAME REST APPROX. 300 FT LEFT OF CENTERLINE OF RWY 5 AND APPROX 500 FT FROM DEPARTURE END. AIRCRAFT BURNED.

## 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 CHI98FA130](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98FA130), Apr 20, 1998: Piper PA-28-140 (N1762J), Kalamazoo, MI, destroyed, 4 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate flying airspeed resulting in a stall condition. Contributing factors were the tailwind condition and the pilot's exceeding the gross weight of the airplane on…

## Other reports on N1762J (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19880511035989I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19880511035989I), May 11, 1988: Piper PA28140 (N1762J), Elkhart, IN. Rough engine enroute. Diverted and landed ok. No defects. Continued flight. Found intermittent fuel pump pressure.

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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