# Incident 19990410029959I: Piper PA28140, Van Wert, OH, April 10, 1999

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 10, 1999, 15:00 local time
- Place: Van Wert, OH
- Airport: Van Wert County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.8639° N, 84.6080° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at VAN WERT COUNTY (VNW), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.8639&lon=-84.6080&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1580J, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1580J-2017-10-06) (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 O320D3G
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- Pilot flight hours: 61 total, 61 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990410029959I

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON APRIL 10, 1999, AT 1500 HOURS LOCAL TIME, A PIPER CHEROKEE, N1580J, S/N 28-24816, IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROX. A QUARTER MILE, SOUTH, SOUTHEAST OF RUNWAY 27 AT THE VAN WERT COUNTY AIRPORT, VAN WERT, OHIO. THE STUDENT PILOT, RANDALL J. AGEE, HAD LOGGED A TOTAL OF 60 FLIGHT HOURS.  MR. AGEE'S INJURIES CONSISTED OF MINOR FACIAL ABRASIONS.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.  THE CLOSEST WEATHER REPORT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS FT. WAYNE, INC. (FWA), WHICH SHOWED WINDS AT 110 DEGREES, 15 KNOTS GUSTING TO 25 KNOTS.  THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE HAD DEPARTED FROM BOWLING GREEN, OHIO (IGO), ENROUTE TO SIDNEY, OHIO (I12).  AFTER PASSING HIS FIRST CHECK POINT, HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SECOND CHECK POINT.  WHILE FLYING AROUND HE SPOTTED THE VAN WERT WATER TOWER, CHECKING HIS MAP, HE LOCATED THE AIRPORT (VNW).  HE FLEW OVER THE AIRPORT CHECKING THE WINDSOCK, THEN ENTERED MIDFIELD DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 27.  AFTER TURNING BASE FOR RUNWAY 27, THE STALL INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON.  HE CONTINUED TO SAY, "I LOWERED MY LAST SET OF FLAPS, REDUCED POWER, AND TRIED TO LINE THE PLANE WITH THE RUNWAY.  THE CROSS WIND WAS STRONG, WITH PEAK GUST UP TO 20 KNO TS. I WAS UNABLE TO LINE THE PLANE STRAIGHT DOWN THE RUNWAY.  I DECIDED TO GIVE FULL POWER AND GO AROUND.  I WAS STILL BANKING AND LOOSING ALTITUDE.  I RELEASED ALL THE FLAPS, PULLED THE NOSE UP AND TRIED TO GAIN ALTITUDE.  THE STALL LIGHT STAYED ON AND I CONTINUED TO DROP.  I TRIED TO LEVEL THE PLANE AND GAIN CONTROL, BUT I CONTINUED TO DROP.  AS I WAS COMING AROUND, ALL I COULD SEE WAS SEVERAL HOUSES IN FRONT OF ME WITH A LARGE FIELD BETWEEN TWO OF THE HOUSES.  I CUT POWER AND PUSHED THE NOSE OF THE PLANE DOWN.  I CRASH LANDED IN THE FIELD".  HE CONTINUED BY SAYING HE EXITED THE AIRCRAFT IMMEDIATELY, CHECKING FOR FIRE AND LEAKING FUEL.  RESCUE PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON THE SCENE WITHIN 5 MINUTES.  UPON ARRIVING AT THE INCIDENT SCENE, AIRWORTHINESS INSPECTOR, MARK D. HARDEN FROM THE CMH FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND INTERVIEWED THE STUDENT PILOT. AIRCRAFT DAMAGE INCLUDED A SHEERED NOSE STRUT ASSEMBLY, AND A BENT PROPELLER.

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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