20020614023069A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22-135 · Brownsville, CA · June 14, 2002

Date: June 14, 2002 · 10:00 local
Place: Brownsville, CA
Airport: Brownsville Aero Pines Airport
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N3329B
NTSB investigation: NTSBLAX02LA197
Reported as: Piper PA22135
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 1

N3329BRegistration cancelled Oct 31, 2002 · Piper PA-22-135S/N 22-2144 · Built 1954 Airframe modelPiper PA-22-135 Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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) The aircraft had a rough engine and returned to field after first take-off. Pilot checked for water/contamination in fuel. Aircraft had a total loss of power during second take-off attempt. The aircraft crashed in pine/oak forest during turn while attempting to return to runway. Pilot (sole occupant) died on impact. The aircraft was totally destroyed by fire. There were conflicting witness statements as to whether or not the pilot had recently performed maintenance at his hangar on the carburetor and/or possibly its control cables. There were no maintenance entries documenting the alleged fuel system maintenance.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT HAD A ROUGH ENGINE AND RETURNED TO FIELD AFTER FIRST TAKE-OFF. PILOT CHECKED FOR WATER/CONTAMINATION IN FUEL. AIRCRAFT HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER DURING SECOND TAKE-OFF ATTEMPT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN PINE/OAK FOREST DURING TURN WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO RUNWAY. PILOT (SOLE OCCUPANT) DIED ON IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED BY FIRE. THERE WERE CONFLICTING WITNESS STATEMENTS AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PILOT HAD RECENTLY PERFORMED MAINTENANCE AT HIS HANGAR ON THE CARBURETOR AND/OR POSSIBLY ITS CONTROL CABLES. THERE WERE NO MAINTENANCE ENTRIES DOCUMENTING THE ALLEGED FUEL SYSTEM MAINTENANCE.

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 LAX02LA197Accident · 1 fatalLimited investigationFinal reportBrownsville, CAa loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate airspeed during a turn to reverse course back to the runway, resulting in a stall and collision with terrain.Jun 14, 2002 · Destroyed