OpenAirDocs.org

19990708008559A

Accident · Substantial damage
Open the Markdown

FAA accident report · Piper PA-25-260 · Wallis, TX · July 8, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 8, 1999 · 12:30 local
Place
Wallis, TX
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
LXFG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8561L
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA187
Reported as
Piper PA25260
Reported engine
Lycoming O540B4B5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,000 total650 in this make and model253 in the last 90 days
N8561LRegistration cancelled Jan 29, 2002 · Piper PA-25-260S/N 25-4983Airframe modelPiper PA-25-260Engine modelNONENone

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.

Acft settled back to the ground on take-off for unknown reasons and sustained substantial damage. (.4)the agricultural airplane experienced a loss of engine power shortly after takeoff from the operator's Private airstrip. The pilot turned toward a cotton field and the aircraft started to descend into the field. The left wing impacted the ground, and the airplane turned around 180 degrees before it came to rest upright. The operator test ran the engine twice following the accident and could find no anomalies that would have prevented the operation of the engine. (-23)pilot reported loss of engine power after takoeff and landed in a cotton field. Both wings were damaged and the propeller tips were bent. The pilot was not injured. Post-accident engine functional test revealed no discrepancies. The aircraft owner told the accident investigators that he thought the pilot made his turn after takeoff much earlier than normal and that he may have been unable to recover from the stall caused by slow airspeed, high gross weight and high density altitude.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT SETTLED BACK TO THE GROUND ON TAKE-OFF FOR UNKNOWN REASONS AND SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. (.4)THE AGRICULTURAL AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THE OPERATOR'S PRIVATE AIRSTRIP. THE PILOT TURNED TOWARD A COTTON FIELD AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED TO DESCEND INTO THE FIELD. THE LEFT WING IMPACTED THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE TURNED AROUND 180 DEGREES BEFORE IT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE OPERATOR TEST RAN THE ENGINE TWICE FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT AND COULD FIND NO ANOMALIES THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE OPERATION OF THE ENGINE. (-23)PILOT REPORTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKOEFF AND LANDED IN A COTTON FIELD. BOTH WINGS WERE DAMAGED AND THE PROPELLER TIPS WERE BENT. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. POST-ACCIDENT ENGINE FUNCTIONAL TEST REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES. THE AIRCRAFT OWNER TOLD THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS THAT HE THOUGHT THE PILOT MADE HIS TURN AFTER TAKEOFF MUCH EARLIER THAN NORMAL AND THAT HE MAY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RECOVER FROM THE STALL CAUSED BY SLOW AIRSPEED, HIGH GROSS WEIGHT AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB FTW99LA187Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWallis, TXThe loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.Jul 8, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8561L · 1

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

Accident 19800802034239ALow Level Operations · Dumas, TXLeft wing separated in flight. Found misaligned holes drilled in spar during conversion to metal wing caused failureAug 2, 1980 · Reported as Piper PA25235 · Destroyed