What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23)On 4/19/2001 at approx 1700 EST aircraft N118AW, a PA-28-161 warrior ii departed igx runway 27 for an IFR training flight, on climb out from igx at aobut 300 feet AGL the aircraft engine lost power. Pilots attempted restart with no success aircraft landed in the trees approximately 100 yards from the end of the runway. VMC conditions prevailed at the time. Aircraft was substantially damaged. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured. Aircraft was based at igx airport and is registered to Chapel Hill flying club. (.19)on April 19, 2001, about 1730 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, N118AW, registered to Chapel Hill flying club, operating as a title 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight, collided with trees during departure from Horace Williams Airport, Chapel Hill, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the flight instructor and private-rated instrument student were not injured. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. According to the flight instructor, following a satisfactory pretakeo ff engine power check, at 100 to 200 feet AGL, the engine sputtered and began to lose power. The crew completed the emergency items for loss of power on takeoff, but engine power continued to decrease until total power loss, and their only option was a forced landing into trees off the departure end of runway 27. (.4) according to the flight instructor, all pretakeoff checks were conducted by the instrument student, and his observation was that all preflight walk-around, radio, navigational, and engine checks were normal. Engine operation was normal, even characterized as "smooth" for initial power application and rotation, however, at about 200 to 300 feet AGL, while crossing the departure end of the runway, the engine "burped" and regained power. About the time both pilots decided to return for a landing, the engine quit completely. The instructor took control of the aircraft, and they completed the emergency checklist for engine failure on takeoff, including switching fuel selector to the other, (left) tank, but power was not regained and a landing in the trees was unavoidable. Both pilots are adamant about the fuel sel ector being in the right tank detent at the start of the takeoff roll. Enough fuel spillage existed at the wreckage site that the Chapel Hill fire department was called, therefore fuel exhaustion was not considered by the FAA inspectors. Atmospheric conditions were not conducive to formation of carburetor ice by reference to icing probability charts. Subsequent engine run at an engine repair station with FAA oversight, after making adjustments for minor impact damage, revealed a satisfactorily running engine from idle to takeoff power.
As the FAA filed it
(-23)ON 4/19/2001 AT APPROX 1700 EST AIRCRAFT N118AW, A PA-28-161 WARRIOR II DEPARTED IGX RUNWAY 27 FOR AN IFR TRAINING FLIGHT, ON CLIMB OUT FROM IGX AT AOBUT 300 FEET AGL THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOTS ATTEMPTED RESTART WITH NO SUCCESS AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE TREES APPROXIMATELY 100 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. VMC CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE NOT INJURED. AIRCRAFT WAS BASED AT IGX AIRPORT AND IS REGISTERED TO CHAPEL HILL FLYING CLUB. (.19)ON APRIL 19, 2001, ABOUT 1730 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28-161, N118AW, REGISTERED TO CHAPEL HILL FLYING CLUB, OPERATING AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT, COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING DEPARTURE FROM HORACE WILLIAMS AIRPORT, CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE-RATED INSTRUMENT STUDENT WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT WAS ORIGINATING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, FOLLOWING A SATISFACTORY PRETAKEO FF ENGINE POWER CHECK, AT 100 TO 200 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE SPUTTERED AND BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CREW COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY ITEMS FOR LOSS OF POWER ON TAKEOFF, BUT ENGINE POWER CONTINUED TO DECREASE UNTIL TOTAL POWER LOSS, AND THEIR ONLY OPTION WAS A FORCED LANDING INTO TREES OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 27. (.4) ACCORDING TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ALL PRETAKEOFF CHECKS WERE CONDUCTED BY THE INSTRUMENT STUDENT, AND HIS OBSERVATION WAS THAT ALL PREFLIGHT WALK-AROUND, RADIO, NAVIGATIONAL, AND ENGINE CHECKS WERE NORMAL. ENGINE OPERATION WAS NORMAL, EVEN CHARACTERIZED AS "SMOOTH" FOR INITIAL POWER APPLICATION AND ROTATION, HOWEVER, AT ABOUT 200 TO 300 FEET AGL, WHILE CROSSING THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY, THE ENGINE "BURPED" AND REGAINED POWER. ABOUT THE TIME BOTH PILOTS DECIDED TO RETURN FOR A LANDING, THE ENGINE QUIT COMPLETELY. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND THEY COMPLETED THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST FOR ENGINE FAILURE ON TAKEOFF, INCLUDING SWITCHING FUEL SELECTOR TO THE OTHER, (LEFT) TANK, BUT POWER WAS NOT REGAINED AND A LANDING IN THE TREES WAS UNAVOIDABLE. BOTH PILOTS ARE ADAMANT ABOUT THE FUEL SEL ECTOR BEING IN THE RIGHT TANK DETENT AT THE START OF THE TAKEOFF ROLL. ENOUGH FUEL SPILLAGE EXISTED AT THE WRECKAGE SITE THAT THE CHAPEL HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED, THEREFORE FUEL EXHAUSTION WAS NOT CONSIDERED BY THE FAA INSPECTORS. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS WERE NOT CONDUCIVE TO FORMATION OF CARBURETOR ICE BY REFERENCE TO ICING PROBABILITY CHARTS. SUBSEQUENT ENGINE RUN AT AN ENGINE REPAIR STATION WITH FAA OVERSIGHT, AFTER MAKING ADJUSTMENTS FOR MINOR IMPACT DAMAGE, REVEALED A SATISFACTORILY RUNNING ENGINE FROM IDLE TO TAKEOFF POWER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.