# Accident 20021014028489A: Piper PA28181, Block Island, RI, October 14, 2002

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 14, 2002, 13:35 local time
- Place: Block Island, RI
- Airport: Block Island State
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.1598° N, 71.5796° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1598&lon=-71.5796&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5675V, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N5675V-2005-06-15) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-181 (registry code 7102807, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28181
- Fatal injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC03LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA005) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20021014028489A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ORIGINAL ANE-200, NE-01 MGR., NE-01 SPM, NE-01 FILE, AAI-200 VIA FAX 973-334-6759, SEND CERTIFIED TO NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD, NORTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE, 2001 ROUTE 46, SUITE 504, PARSIPPANY, NEW JERSEY 07054. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ BRIEF NARRATIVE: N5675V, PIPER ARCHER, PA-28181, AFTER DEPARTURE FROM NANTUCKET (ACK), DECLARED AN IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY WITH BOSTON CENTER 27.5 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BLOCK ISLAND AT 1330 EDT, 10/14/02, DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON A VFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM NANTUCKET TO MITCHELLVILLE, MD. THE AIRCRAFT DIVERTED TO BLOCK ISLAND LANDING ON RUNWAY 28 AT APPROXIMATELY 1335 EDT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED FAST AND LONG, AND ROLLED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY HITTING AN AIRPORT PERIMETER CYCLONE FENCE. BOTH WINGS AND THE VERTICAL STABILIZER WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED. DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT IS CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL WITH ONLY MINOR INJURIES TO THE TWO PASSENGERS AND PILOT. THE FAA INSPECTOR FOUND THE BATTERY BOX MASTER RELAY/SOLENOID WAS PARTIALLY MELTED. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DUE TO CONTINUOUS STARTING ATTEMPTED BY THE PILOT BEFORE TAKE-OFF FROM NANTUCKET (ACK). EYEWITNESSES STATED THAT PILOT CONTINUALLY TRIED TO START THE ENG                  INE UNTIL THE BATTERY WENT DEAD. THE NANTUCKET AIRPORT SUPERVISOR ON DUTY ASSISTED WITH A JUMP-START USING THE CORRECT PIPER AIRCRAFT PLUG AND ADAPTERS. THE PILOT TOOK ANOTHER 10-15 MINUTES TO START THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED NANTUCKET AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 EDT. SOON AFTER DEPARTURE THE PASSENGER IN THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SMELL AN ELECTRIC SMELL, THEN SAW SMOKE COMING FROM BEHIND THE REAR SEAT BULKHEAD. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH BOSTON CENTER. THE PILOT SELECTED HIS TRANSPONDER TO 7700, AND ELECTED TO DIVERT TO BLOCK ISLAND STATE AIRPORT IN RHODE ISLAND (BID). ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES THE AIRCRAFT LANDED FAST AND APPROXIMATELY 800-900 FEET DOWN THE 2,700-FOOT RUNWAY, ULTIMATELY GOING OFF END OF RUNWAY INTO THE AIRPORT PERIMETER CYCLONE FENCE. THE PILOT STATED "HE COULD NOT SEE CLEARLY BECAUSE OF THE SMOKE, AND WAS GETTING VERY DIZZY." "HE STATED THAT HE BECAME EXTREMELY DISORIENTED AND STARTED SEEING DOUBLE WHILE HE WAS DESCENDING INTO BLOCK ISLAND AIRPORT." MALFUNCTION AND DEFECT REPORT WILL BE SUBMITTED FOR THE FAILED POWER RELAY CONTACTOR PART NUMBER 6041H105A, PIPER PART NUMBER 455-151.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB NYC03LA005](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC03LA005), Oct 14, 2002: Piper PA-28-181 (N5675V), Block Island, RI, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's misjudgment of speed and distance as a result of physical impairment due to smoke.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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