What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft departed RWY32, lost power after tkoff, was observed descending toward a wooded area off dep end RWY32. (.19) on January 5, 1999, about 1600 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N9683C, was substantially damaged when it lost power during the initial climb after takeoff from the Lawrence Municipal Airport (lwm), Lawrence, Massachusetts, and impacted terrain in methuen, Massachusetts. The certificated commercial pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. A third passenger was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the local flight which was conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to a federal aviation administration inspector, shortly after departing runway 32, the pilot reported to the lwm air traffic control tower that the airplane's engine was losing power. The airplane turned back towards the airport, descended, and impacted the tops of 50 foot tall trees. The airplane came to rest about one-half mile from the departure runway. In a telephone interview, a witness at the airport stated he was working on an airplane in the north ramp area, when he heard an "engine that didn't sound right." He descirbed the sound as a "murmur," and stated "it just didn't sound like it was producing full power." He turned around and observed the accident airplane on its takeoff roll. He said the airplane just barely cleared the trees located at the end of the runway. The airplane went straight out and made a left turn back towards the airport. It then pitched down and dropped behind the tree line. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA inspector did not disclose any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions of the airframe or engine. The airplane was equipped with a manual 3-point primer system. Spark plugs removed from the three cylinders which contained primer lines revealed a "heavy coat of black sooty material" present on the electrodes. The spark plug removed from the cylinder which did not contain a primer line was "clean." Additionally, the primer control in the cockpit was observed in a forward, but unlocked position. The pilot received his military pilot rating on November 30, 1998. On December 29, 1998, the pilot received a temporary FAA commercial pilot certificate with ratings for single engine land and instrument airplane based on his military experience. On his application for an airman certificate, the pilot reported he had flown at least 10 hours as pilot-in-command during the previous 12 months in a T45A, a united states navy two-seat jet trainer. Three days prior to the accident, the pilot received a 1.8 hour check out in a PA-28-151, from a certificated flight instructor. (-23) see accident ptrs NYC99LA045
As the FAA filed it
ACFT DEPARTED RWY32, LOST POWER AFTER TKOFF, WAS OBSERVED DESCENDING TOWARD A WOODED AREA OFF DEP END RWY32. (.19) ON JANUARY 5, 1999, ABOUT 1600 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N9683C, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LOST POWER DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE LAWRENCE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (LWM), LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN IN METHUEN, MASSACHUSETTS. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. A THIRD PASSENGER WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT WHICH WAS CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION INSPECTOR, SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING RUNWAY 32, THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE LWM AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THAT THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. THE AIRPLANE TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT, DESCENDED, AND IMPACTED THE TOPS OF 50 FOOT TALL TREES. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT ONE-HALF MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE RUNWAY. IN A TELEPHONE INTERVIEW, A WITNESS AT THE AIRPORT STATED HE WAS WORKING ON AN AIRPLANE IN THE NORTH RAMP AREA, WHEN HE HEARD AN "ENGINE THAT DIDN'T SOUND RIGHT." HE DESCIRBED THE SOUND AS A "MURMUR," AND STATED "IT JUST DIDN'T SOUND LIKE IT WAS PRODUCING FULL POWER." HE TURNED AROUND AND OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE ON ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE JUST BARELY CLEARED THE TREES LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE WENT STRAIGHT OUT AND MADE A LEFT TURN BACK TOWARDS THE AIRPORT. IT THEN PITCHED DOWN AND DROPPED BEHIND THE TREE LINE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL 3-POINT PRIMER SYSTEM. SPARK PLUGS REMOVED FROM THE THREE CYLINDERS WHICH CONTAINED PRIMER LINES REVEALED A "HEAVY COAT OF BLACK SOOTY MATERIAL" PRESENT ON THE ELECTRODES. THE SPARK PLUG REMOVED FROM THE CYLINDER WHICH DID NOT CONTAIN A PRIMER LINE WAS "CLEAN." ADDITIONALLY, THE PRIMER CONTROL IN THE COCKPIT WAS OBSERVED IN A FORWARD, BUT UNLOCKED POSITION. THE PILOT RECEIVED HIS MILITARY PILOT RATING ON NOVEMBER 30, 1998. ON DECEMBER 29, 1998, THE PILOT RECEIVED A TEMPORARY FAA COMMERCIAL PILOT CERTIFICATE WITH RATINGS FOR SINGLE ENGINE LAND AND INSTRUMENT AIRPLANE BASED ON HIS MILITARY EXPERIENCE. ON HIS APPLICATION FOR AN AIRMAN CERTIFICATE, THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD FLOWN AT LEAST 10 HOURS AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND DURING THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS IN A T45A, A UNITED STATES NAVY TWO-SEAT JET TRAINER. THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT RECEIVED A 1.8 HOUR CHECK OUT IN A PA-28-151, FROM A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR. (-23) SEE ACCIDENT PTRS NYC99LA045
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9683C · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.