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20080131010749I

Incident · No damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Decatur, IL · January 31, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 31, 2008 · 13:46 local
Place
Decatur, IL
Phase of flight
Climb
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N6461C
Reported as
Piper PA28161
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
5,200 total1,500 in this make and model130 in the last 90 days
N6461CRegistered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-7816425Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161Engine 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) A certificated flight instructor and student pilot were flying a Piper PA-28-161, tail number N6461C from mattoon, Illinois to springfield, Illinois. After executing a practice instrument approach to runway 36 at Decatur, Illinois, they were in the process of climbing the aircraft and proceeding onto their destination of springfield. During climbout, the flight encountered snow shower activity in the vicinity of Decatur, and shortly thereafter the flight instructor noticed a subtle but defined power loss and engine roughness. The flight instructor then applied carburetor heat and the engine roughness became more apparent so he discontinued its use. The pilot was in contact with the champaign, Illinois air traffic control facility (ATC), and reported the problem. The pilot then elected to return to Decatur for a precautionary landing. Champaign ATC issued a radar vector to Decatur airport and shorltly thereafter, the pilot reported the airport in sight. The aircraft landed at Decatur on runway 6 without incident. This incident is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT WERE FLYING A PIPER PA-28-161, TAIL NUMBER N6461C FROM MATTOON, ILLINOIS TO SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS. AFTER EXECUTING A PRACTICE INSTRUMENT APPROACH TO RUNWAY 36 AT DECATUR, ILLINOIS, THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF CLIMBING THE AIRCRAFT AND PROCEEDING ONTO THEIR DESTINATION OF SPRINGFIELD. DURING CLIMBOUT, THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF DECATUR, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR NOTICED A SUBTLE BUT DEFINED POWER LOSS AND ENGINE ROUGHNESS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR THEN APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS BECAME MORE APPARENT SO HE DISCONTINUED ITS USE. THE PILOT WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FACILITY (ATC), AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THE PILOT THEN ELECTED TO RETURN TO DECATUR FOR A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. CHAMPAIGN ATC ISSUED A RADAR VECTOR TO DECATUR AIRPORT AND SHORLTLY THEREAFTER, THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRPORT IN SIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED AT DECATUR ON RUNWAY 6 WITHOUT INCIDENT. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.