# Accident 20040510029249A: Piper PA38112, Oil City, LA, May 10, 2004 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 10, 2004, 16:12 local time - Place: Oil City, LA - Airport: Thackers Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.7883° N, 93.9542° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.7883&lon=-93.9542&mi=10 - Aircraft: N24007, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N24007-2007-02-15) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-38-112 (registry code 7103812, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-38-112) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-235 series (registry code 41505, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-235-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA38112 - Reported engine: LYC O235L2C - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 140 total, 114 in this make and model, 37 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW04LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA125) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20040510029249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## 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 FTW04LA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW04LA125), May 10, 2004: Piper PA-38-112 (N24007), Oil City, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the student pilot's failure to maintain airspeed resulting in a stall.. ## Other reports on N24007 (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19980709027219I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980709027219I), Jul 9, 1998: Piper PA38112 (N24007), Dallas, TX, Minor damage. During 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… - [Incident 19910417011359I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910417011359I), Apr 17, 1991: Piper PA38112 (N24007), Shelbyville, IN, Minor damage. Pilot stated aircraft over rotated and failed to accelerate. Aborted takeoff and ran off runway into a ditch. - [Accident 19820214004349A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19820214004349A), Feb 14, 1982: Piper PA38112 (N24007), Lebanon, IN, Substantial damage. Aircraft crashed short of runway during instructor demonstration of low approach. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.