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20040510029249A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-38-112 · Oil City, LA · May 10, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 10, 2004 · 16:12 local
Place
Oil City, LA
Airport
Thackers Airport
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N24007
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW04LA125
Reported as
Piper PA38112
Reported engine
Lycoming O235L2C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
140 total114 in this make and model37 in the last 90 days
N24007Registration cancelled Feb 15, 2007 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A1074 · Built 1979Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112Engine modelLycoming 0-235 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) On may 10, 2004, a Piper PA-38-112 single-engine airplane, N24007, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain after takeoff from thacker's airport (5F8), near Oil City Louisiana. The solo private pilot was seriously injured. The pilot was attempting to take-off on runway 26. According to a witness, who observed the airplane on takeoff, stated that the airplane left the ground just before the sheds (approximately 2,300 feet from the take off end of the runway) and never got higher than the tree line on the north side of the runway (approximately 20 to 30 feet). Both witnesses stated that they heard a "chugging" noise coming from the airplane's engine. As the pilot was attempting to climb, the aircraft made a "slight" descent when abeam the sheds, and then the nose pitched up again. The airplane then went into a steep left turn and nosed down (stall/spin) and impacted terrain at a nose-low attitude and left bank, before coming to rest adjacent to the runway, facing 180 degrees from the take off heading. The airplane came to rest approximately 2,800 feet from the take off end of the runway (the runway is 50 x 2,900 feet, turf). The grass was 8-10 inches long at the time of the accident. Investigation revealed that four (4) of the eight (8) spark plugs were oil wet and were lead fouled. The fouled plugs should have been detected on the engine run up and magneto check prior to take off. The engine maintenance records indicate that the four bottom plugs had a history of fouling. With the four (4) fouled out spark plugs it was not possible for the engine to develop full power and would cause the "chugging" noise that the witnesses heard. Evidence found during the investigation supports what the witnesses stated. That the airplane entered a stall/spin. The pilot took off on runway 26 with a left quartering tail wind with trees 60 foot tall at the departure end. A take off on runway 08 would have been with a right quartering head wind and low trees (approximately 20 to 30 feet tall) on the departure end.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON MAY 10, 2004, A PIPER PA-38-112 SINGLE-ENGINE AIRPLANE, N24007, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER TAKEOFF FROM THACKER'S AIRPORT (5F8), NEAR OIL CITY LOUISIANA. THE SOLO PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE-OFF ON RUNWAY 26. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, WHO OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE ON TAKEOFF, STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE GROUND JUST BEFORE THE SHEDS (APPROXIMATELY 2,300 FEET FROM THE TAKE OFF END OF THE RUNWAY) AND NEVER GOT HIGHER THAN THE TREE LINE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RUNWAY (APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 FEET). BOTH WITNESSES STATED THAT THEY HEARD A "CHUGGING" NOISE COMING FROM THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE. AS THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO CLIMB, THE AIRCRAFT MADE A "SLIGHT" DESCENT WHEN ABEAM THE SHEDS, AND THEN THE NOSE PITCHED UP AGAIN. THE AIRPLANE THEN WENT INTO A STEEP LEFT TURN AND NOSED DOWN (STALL/SPIN) AND IMPACTED TERRAIN AT A NOSE-LOW ATTITUDE AND LEFT BANK, BEFORE COMING TO REST ADJACENT TO THE RUNWAY, FACING 180 DEGREES FROM THE TAKE OFF HEADING. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 2,800 FEET FROM THE TAKE OFF END OF THE RUNWAY (THE RUNWAY IS 50 X 2,900 FEET, TURF). THE GRASS WAS 8-10 INCHES LONG AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT FOUR (4) OF THE EIGHT (8) SPARK PLUGS WERE OIL WET AND WERE LEAD FOULED. THE FOULED PLUGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DETECTED ON THE ENGINE RUN UP AND MAGNETO CHECK PRIOR TO TAKE OFF. THE ENGINE MAINTENANCE RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE FOUR BOTTOM PLUGS HAD A HISTORY OF FOULING. WITH THE FOUR (4) FOULED OUT SPARK PLUGS IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE FOR THE ENGINE TO DEVELOP FULL POWER AND WOULD CAUSE THE "CHUGGING" NOISE THAT THE WITNESSES HEARD. EVIDENCE FOUND DURING THE INVESTIGATION SUPPORTS WHAT THE WITNESSES STATED. THAT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STALL/SPIN. THE PILOT TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 26 WITH A LEFT QUARTERING TAIL WIND WITH TREES 60 FOOT TALL AT THE DEPARTURE END. A TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 08 WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH A RIGHT QUARTERING HEAD WIND AND LOW TREES (APPROXIMATELY 20 TO 30 FEET TALL) ON THE DEPARTURE END.

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 FTW04LA125Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOil City, LAA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall..May 10, 2004 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N24007 · 3

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

Incident 19980709027219ILevel Off Touchdown · Dallas, TXDuring landing on runway 17, redbird airport, Dallas, TX. The pilot made a hard landing while in a descent angle. Pilot porpoised aircraft on landing striking the prop on the runway and bending mount. 7/9/98Jul 9, 1998 · Minor damageIncident 19910417011359ITo Aborted (Fixed Wing) · Shelbyville, INPilot stated aircraft over rotated and failed to accelerate. Aborted takeoff and ran off runway into a ditch.Apr 17, 1991 · Minor damageAccident 19820214004349AFinal Approach · Lebanon, INAircraft crashed short of runway during instructor demonstration of low approach.Feb 14, 1982 · Substantial damage