20120720024509A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Statesboro, GA · July 20, 2012

Date
July 20, 2012 · 17:59 local
Place
Statesboro, GA
Airport
Statesboro Bulloch County
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N3692R
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA12LA469
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
600 total500 in this make and model

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.

On July 21 at 1030 am approximately an inspector from this office arrived at Statesboro ga. Specifically a location in a tree line between a peanut field and soy field (henry mikell lane). Inspector keberly was responding to the original notification of the accident that took place on 07/20/2012 at 1750. According to inspector keberly the aircraft was observed to be resting slightly nose down and the right wing had been separated by impact forces and was laying leading edge down as evidenced by impact marking on the tree. The wing was to the left of the aircraft and rearward. The left wing was torn back from the front spar mount but still attached and bent rearward from the aft mount. The stabilator was extensively damage and torn loose. The main fuselage was intact. Inspector keberly was not able to rotate the prop due to the proximity to the ground. There was trace evidence of fuel and the feed line to the carburetor was empty. The aircraft was left at the location until the decision was to be made to extract the aircraft. During conversations with Mr. Keberly this inspector agreed to complete the investigation and address the concerns as to fuel status and oil status. On July 25, 2012 this inspector travelled to Statesboro and based on conversations with airport management (jeff herrington) and the aircraft owner privacy data omitted it was determined that we would meet at the owners hanger. This inspector arrived at Statesboro at 0910 that morning and met with the airport manager (jeff herrington) Mr. Herrington drove me to privacy data omitted hangar and a large oil spill area was noted with speedy dry in the main area outside of the doors. An oil trail was observed from the hangar travelling approximately 2000 feet to the departure end of runway 14. The PIC and passenger were not injured during the accident, just sore and bruised. The aircraft had just had a 100 hour inspection and oil change as required by appendix d of part 43 and part 91 as this aircraft was being used for CFR part 61 flight instruction. The aircraft records indicate a total time of 5758.0 (1934.7 tach) on 07/20/2012 when the work was returned to service by privacy data omitted. privacy data omitted Is also the PIC in this event. The tach indicated a tach time of 1934.8 which translates to .1 hours of flight approximately which also includes the ground time. The time from engine start , taxi, takeoff and failure was approximately 6 minutes. Due to the concerns of inspector keberly as to the fuel status it was verified by flight records and fuel slips provided by the owner, that there was approximately 12 gallons in the left tank and 18 in the right tank. The aircraft maintenance records were examined and the following observations were made.1. The last annual inspection was completed 12/21/2011 at total time of 5556.7 hours (1734.1 tach)2. The CFR part 91.411 and 413 tests and inspections were last completed on 04/20/2010 and were due by the end of April of 2012 (CFR required every 24 months) the owner was counseled on this oversight and documented in our data base. 3. The ELT battery replacement was due January 2013. The ELT installed was a pointer portable ELT model 3000 and activated on impact (121.5/243.0 mhz) and was deactivated by inspector keberly. 4. Ad's appeared to be documented and tracked as required by CFR part 39. 5. The 100 hour inspection prior to the last was 04/01/ 2012 at 5656.3 tt and 1833.7 tach. (Slight discrepancy on tach of 1 hour and tt of 1.7). The sight examination confirmed the location and positions as stated by inspector keberly. The vegetation had turned brown in multiple areas which can be attributed to the spraying of fuel when the tanks were compromised and breached during impact forces. The fuel strainer was observed broken at the bowl and this explains the fuel draining from the engine lines. The top engine cowling was loose and damaged. When it was removed the oil dip stick tube was broken from the case safety wire was ok.

As the FAA filed it

ON JULY 21 AT 1030 AM APPROXIMATELY AN INSPECTOR FROM THIS OFFICE ARRIVED AT STATESBORO GA. SPECIFICALLY A LOCATION IN A TREE LINE BETWEEN A PEANUT FIELD AND SOY FIELD (HENRY MIKELL LANE). INSPECTOR KEBERLY WAS RESPONDING TO THE ORIGINAL NOTIFICATION OF THE ACCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE ON 07/20/2012 AT 1750. ACCORDING TO INSPECTOR KEBERLY THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED TO BE RESTING SLIGHTLY NOSE DOWN AND THE RIGHT WING HAD BEEN SEPARATED BY IMPACT FORCES AND WAS LAYING LEADING EDGE DOWN AS EVIDENCED BY IMPACT MARKING ON THE TREE. THE WING WAS TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND REARWARD. THE LEFT WING WAS TORN BACK FROM THE FRONT SPAR MOUNT BUT STILL ATTACHED AND BENT REARWARD FROM THE AFT MOUNT. THE STABILATOR WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGE AND TORN LOOSE. THE MAIN FUSELAGE WAS INTACT. INSPECTOR KEBERLY WAS NOT ABLE TO ROTATE THE PROP DUE TO THE PROXIMITY TO THE GROUND. THERE WAS TRACE EVIDENCE OF FUEL AND THE FEED LINE TO THE CARBURETOR WAS EMPTY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEFT AT THE LOCATION UNTIL THE DECISION WAS TO BE MADE TO EXTRACT THE AIRCRAFT. DURING CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. KEBERLY THIS INSPECTOR AGREED TO COMPLETE THE INVESTIGATION AND ADDRESS THE CONCERNS AS TO FUEL STATUS AND OIL STATUS. ON JULY 25, 2012 THIS INSPECTOR TRAVELLED TO STATESBORO AND BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH AIRPORT MANAGEMENT (JEFF HERRINGTON) AND THE AIRCRAFT OWNER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD MEET AT THE OWNERS HANGER. THIS INSPECTOR ARRIVED AT STATESBORO AT 0910 THAT MORNING AND MET WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGER (JEFF HERRINGTON) MR. HERRINGTON DROVE ME TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR AND A LARGE OIL SPILL AREA WAS NOTED WITH SPEEDY DRY IN THE MAIN AREA OUTSIDE OF THE DOORS. AN OIL TRAIL WAS OBSERVED FROM THE HANGAR TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 2000 FEET TO THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 14. THE PIC AND PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED DURING THE ACCIDENT, JUST SORE AND BRUISED.THE AIRCRAFT HAD JUST HAD A 100 HOUR INSPECTION AND OIL CHANGE AS REQUIRED BY APPENDIX D OF PART 43 AND PART 91 AS THIS AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED FOR CFR PART 61 FLIGHT INSTRUCTION. THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE A TOTAL TIME OF 5758.0 (1934.7 TACH) ON 07/20/2012 WHEN THE WORK WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IS ALSO THE PIC IN THIS EVENT. THE TACH INDICATED A TACH TIME OF 1934.8 WHICH TRANSLATES TO .1 HOURS OF FLIGHT APPROXIMATELY WHICH ALSO INCLUDES THE GROUND TIME. THE TIME FROM ENGINE START , TAXI, TAKEOFF AND FAILURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES. DUE TO THE CONCERNS OF INSPECTOR KEBERLY AS TO THE FUEL STATUS IT WAS VERIFIED BY FLIGHT RECORDS AND FUEL SLIPS PROVIDED BY THE OWNER, THAT THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 GALLONS IN THE LEFT TANK AND 18 IN THE RIGHT TANK. THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS WERE EXAMINED AND THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE.1. THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED 12/21/2011 AT TOTAL TIME OF 5556.7 HOURS (1734.1 TACH)2. THE CFR PART 91.411 AND 413 TESTS AND INSPECTIONS WERE LAST COMPLETED ON 04/20/2010 AND WERE DUE BY THE END OF APRIL OF 2012 (CFR REQUIRED EVERY 24 MONTHS) THE OWNER WAS COUNSELED ON THIS OVERSIGHT AND DOCUMENTED IN OUR DATA BASE. 3. THE ELT BATTERY REPLACEMENT WAS DUE JANUARY 2013. THE ELT INSTALLED WAS A POINTER PORTABLE ELT MODEL 3000 AND ACTIVATED ON IMPACT (121.5/243.0 MHZ) AND WAS DEACTIVATED BY INSPECTOR KEBERLY. 4. AD'S APPEARED TO BE DOCUMENTED AND TRACKED AS REQUIRED BY CFR PART 39. 5. THE 100 HOUR INSPECTION PRIOR TO THE LAST WAS 04/01/ 2012 AT 5656.3 TT AND 1833.7 TACH. (SLIGHT DISCREPANCY ON TACH OF 1 HOUR AND TT OF 1.7). THE SIGHT EXAMINATION CONFIRMED THE LOCATION AND POSITIONS AS STATED BY INSPECTOR KEBERLY. THE VEGETATION HAD TURNED BROWN IN MULTIPLE AREAS WHICH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE SPRAYING OF FUEL WHEN THE TANKS WERE COMPROMISED AND BREACHED DURING IMPACT FORCES. THE FUEL STRAINER WAS OBSERVED BROKEN AT THE BOWL AND THIS EXPLAINS THE FUEL DRAINING FROM THE ENGINE LINES. THE TOP ENGINE COWLING WAS LOOSE AND DAMAGED. WHEN IT WAS REMOVED THE OIL DIP STICK TUBE WAS BROKEN FROM THE CASE SAFETY WIRE WAS OK.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.