19990704008269A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Chuckey, TN · July 4, 1999

Date
July 4, 1999 · 16:45 local
Place
Chuckey, TN
Airport
Hufaker
Phase of flight
Forced Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9361J
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL99LA104
Reported as
Piper PA28180
Reported engine
Lycoming O360A3A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
350 total

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Ran off end of rwy into pond. (.19) on July 4, 1999, at 1645 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N9361J, ditched in a pond following an aborted takeoff from a private air strip near Chuckey, Tennessee. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under provisions of title 14 CFR part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The private pilot and passenger were not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight departed Chuckey, Tennessee, at 1644. Reportedly, the airplane took off from the private airstrip at Chuckey road. According to the pilot, shortly after liftoff from the runway a climb profile could not be maintained. The pilot elected to abort the takeoff and attempted a forced landing onto the remaining runway. The airplane touched down on the runway, and rolled off the departure end. (-23) pilot attempted to take off from grass strip did not appear to have sufficient lift to adequately clear obstacles at the end of runway. Aborted takeoff attempted then continued banked aircraft to right missing power lines and a fence but clipped a power pole left wing aircraft crashed in pond. High temperature s, humidity and density altitude were contributing factors. (.4) shortly after liftoff from the runway, a climb profile could not be maintained. The pilot elected to continue the takeoff procedure. While maneuvering for a forced landing, the left wing collided with a utility pole, and the airplane ditched in a nearby pond. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane. The pilot also reported that, within a few minutes of his attempted takeoff, several other airplanes had departed the airstrip without experiencing a problem. A review of current weather data from the nearest reporting facility disclosed that conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. The temperature was 90 degrees, and the dew point was 72 degrees.

As the FAA filed it

RAN OFF END OF RWY INTO POND. (.19) ON JULY 4, 1999, AT 1645 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-180, N9361J, DITCHED IN A POND FOLLOWING AN ABORTED TAKEOFF FROM A PRIVATE AIR STRIP NEAR CHUCKEY, TENNESSEE. THE PERSONAL FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER PROVISIONS OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 WITH NO FLIGHT PLAN FILED. VISUAL WEATHER CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED CHUCKEY, TENNESSEE, AT 1644. REPORTEDLY, THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF FROM THE PRIVATE AIRSTRIP AT CHUCKEY ROAD. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF FROM THE RUNWAY A CLIMB PROFILE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF AND ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING ONTO THE REMAINING RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY, AND ROLLED OFF THE DEPARTURE END. (-23) PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKE OFF FROM GRASS STRIP DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO ADEQUATELY CLEAR OBSTACLES AT THE END OF RUNWAY. ABORTED TAKEOFF ATTEMPTED THEN CONTINUED BANKED AIRCRAFT TO RIGHT MISSING POWER LINES AND A FENCE BUT CLIPPED A POWER POLE LEFT WING AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN POND. HIGH TEMPERATURE S, HUMIDITY AND DENSITY ALTITUDE WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. (.4) SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF FROM THE RUNWAY, A CLIMB PROFILE COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. THE PILOT ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE TAKEOFF PROCEDURE. WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A FORCED LANDING, THE LEFT WING COLLIDED WITH A UTILITY POLE, AND THE AIRPLANE DITCHED IN A NEARBY POND. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE. THE PILOT ALSO REPORTED THAT, WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF HIS ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF, SEVERAL OTHER AIRPLANES HAD DEPARTED THE AIRSTRIP WITHOUT EXPERIENCING A PROBLEM. A REVIEW OF CURRENT WEATHER DATA FROM THE NEAREST REPORTING FACILITY DISCLOSED THAT CONDITIONS WERE FAVORABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE. THE TEMPERATURE WAS 90 DEGREES, AND THE DEW POINT WAS 72 DEGREES.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.