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20010127002159A

Accident · No damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Tifton, GA · January 27, 2001

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 27, 2001 · 21:40 local
Place
Tifton, GA
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N3978K
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA01LA065
Reported as
Piper PA28140
Fatal injuries
0
N3978KRegistration cancelled Oct 6, 2014 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-23864 · Built 1967Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23) Piper PA-28-140, N3978K, enroute from savannah, Georgia (svn) to enterprise, al(edn) at 4,500 feet and magnetic heading of 270 degrees on a flight following with jacksonville center. At 2135 EST started experiencing loss of power and a declining engine RPM. Pilot states, he (rockston thomas) was using right wing fuel and switched to left wing fuel tank. Contacted jacksonville center and informed them of his loss of engine power. Jacksonville center directed mr thomas toward a nearby airport (henry tift myers airport, Tifton, GA) where he attempted to land but was too high for initial landing and was trying to go around, but was forced to land in a marshed area approx 2500 feet south of his designated runway 15. Substantial damage to a/c fuselage, wings, engine cowling and propeller. No visable damage to engine. Engine operation, related fuel system and a/c control surfaces operated normal during post investigation inspections and testing. Fuel onboard, with wing 8 gal and left wing 25 gal.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PIPER PA-28-140, N3978K, ENROUTE FROM SAVANNAH, GEORGIA (SVN) TO ENTERPRISE, AL(EDN) AT 4,500 FEET AND MAGNETIC HEADING OF 270 DEGREES ON A FLIGHT FOLLOWING WITH JACKSONVILLE CENTER. AT 2135 EST STARTED EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER AND A DECLINING ENGINE RPM. PILOT STATES, HE (ROCKSTON THOMAS) WAS USING RIGHT WING FUEL AND SWITCHED TO LEFT WING FUEL TANK. CONTACTED JACKSONVILLE CENTER AND INFORMED THEM OF HIS LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. JACKSONVILLE CENTER DIRECTED MR THOMAS TOWARD A NEARBY AIRPORT (HENRY TIFT MYERS AIRPORT, TIFTON, GA) WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND BUT WAS TOO HIGH FOR INITIAL LANDING AND WAS TRYING TO GO AROUND, BUT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A MARSHED AREA APPROX 2500 FEET SOUTH OF HIS DESIGNATED RUNWAY 15. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO A/C FUSELAGE, WINGS, ENGINE COWLING AND PROPELLER. NO VISABLE DAMAGE TO ENGINE. ENGINE OPERATION, RELATED FUEL SYSTEM AND A/C CONTROL SURFACES OPERATED NORMAL DURING POST INVESTIGATION INSPECTIONS AND TESTING. FUEL ONBOARD, WITH WING 8 GAL AND LEFT WING 25 GAL.

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 MIA01LA065Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTifton, GAThe pilot's failure to properly judge his altitude (too high) during a forced landing to a runway. The pilot made a 270-degree turn in an attempt to lose altitude resulting in a forced landing in a swampy/marshy area short of the runway. Contributing to the…Jan 28, 2001 · Substantial damage