# Accident 19980516021369A: Piper PA28151, Princeton/Rocky, NJ, May 16, 1998

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 16, 1998, 19:25 local time
- Place: Princeton/Rocky, NJ
- Airport: Princeton Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.3850° N, 74.6547° 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=40.3850&lon=-74.6547&mi=10
- Aircraft: N56969, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N56969-1999-04-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-151 (registry code 7102805, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28151
- Reported engine: LYC O320E3D
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 362 total, 120 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD98LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA060) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980516021369A

## Narrative

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

LOST POWER ON CLIMBOUT. CRASH LANDED IN A FIELD. WAS DOWNWIND AND OVER GROSS WT. (.4) THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE LOST PARTIAL POWER DURING CLIMBOUT AND HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. DURING THE TURN THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD.  THE ENGINE WAS EXAMINED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A FAA INSPECTOR.  AFTER TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS TO START THE ENGINE, A CARBURETOR FLOAT WAS FREED.  THE ENGINE THEN RAN TO RATED POWER.  ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WITH A 9 KNOT TAILWIND.  THE AIRPLANE'S TAKEOFF WEIGHT WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 20 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM TAKEOFF WEIGHT.  THE CALCULATIONS DID NOT INCLUDE BAGGAGE NO LONGER AVAILABLE TO WEIGH.                                      (-23) FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LINCOLN PARK (N07), NEW JERSEY, AND FLEW TO PRINCETON, NJ (39N), WHERE THE PILOT PICKED UP THREE PASSENGER. PILOT DEPARTED PRINCETON AND STATED THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB AND THE ENGINE WAS NOT DEVELOPING FULL POWER. HE THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT WHEN HE STATED THE ENGINE QUIT AND MADE AN OFF-FIELD EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PLOWED FIELD. THE FLIGHT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91.

## 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 IAD98LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD98LA060), May 16, 1998: Piper PA-28-151 (N56969), Princeton, NJ, substantial damage. Probable cause: A stuck carburetor float which restricted fuel flow to the engine that resulted in a loss of engine power.

## Other reports on N56969 (1)

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

- [Incident 19900718031899I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900718031899I), Jul 18, 1990: Piper PA28151 (N56969), Kutztown, PA. Oil pressure went to zero and engine failed. Landed in field. Oil leaked into engine compartment.

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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