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20030605015429A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Hamilton, AL · June 5, 2003

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 5, 2003 · 16:45 local
Place
Hamilton, AL
Airport
Marion County Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N44541
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL03LA103
Reported as
Piper PA28140
Reported engine
Lycoming O320*
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
75 total20 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N44541Registration cancelled Jul 20, 2017 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7425424 · Built 1974Airframe 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) Enroute to muscle shoals ala. (MSL) from reform ala. (3M8) at 3000 feet, Mr. Richardson experienced loss of RPM. He turned toward Hamilton (hab) airport and pushed the throttle full forward and the mixture full rich. The engine would not develop power. The aircraft began to vibrate and shake violently and he switched tanks with the fuel selector with no help. He decided to make an emergency landing in a field that he could see. Trying for the field the aircraft could not make headway against the wind. The aircraft completely lost all power. Mr. Richardson dropped the flaps and stalled the aircraft three (3) times to slow the aircraft while attempting to make an emergency landing. On the third (3rd) stall he felt something grab the aircraft and the aircraft nosed over and crashed into the trees, approximately eleven (11) nautical miles southeast of the Hamilton, AL airport (hab). There were not serious injuries and the aircraft received substantial damage to the left and right wings and the engine compartment firewall.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ENROUTE TO MUSCLE SHOALS ALA. (MSL) FROM REFORM ALA. (3M8) AT 3000 FEET, MR. RICHARDSON EXPERIENCED LOSS OF RPM. HE TURNED TOWARD HAMILTON (HAB) AIRPORT AND PUSHED THE THROTTLE FULL FORWARD AND THE MIXTURE FULL RICH. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT DEVELOP POWER. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND HE SWITCHED TANKS WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR WITH NO HELP. HE DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD THAT HE COULD SEE. TRYING FOR THE FIELD THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAKE HEADWAY AGAINST THE WIND. THE AIRCRAFT COMPLETELY LOST ALL POWER. MR. RICHARDSON DROPPED THE FLAPS AND STALLED THE AIRCRAFT THREE (3) TIMES TO SLOW THE AIRCRAFT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. ON THE THIRD (3RD) STALL HE FELT SOMETHING GRAB THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT NOSED OVER AND CRASHED INTO THE TREES, APPROXIMATELY ELEVEN (11) NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHEAST OF THE HAMILTON, AL AIRPORT (HAB). THERE WERE NOT SERIOUS INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS AND THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIREWALL.

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 ATL03LA103Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportHamilton, ALThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection by his failure to ensure adequate oil supply, which resulted in oil exhaustion and the failure of the connecting rod cap.Jun 5, 2003 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N44541 · 1

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

Incident 19910526023259ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Folkston, GAOn takeoff from touch and go pilot felt he would not clear trees ahead. Aborted and ran off end of runway.May 26, 1991 · Minor damage