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20151007022489A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Compton, CA · October 7, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 7, 2015 · 15:40 local
Place
Compton, CA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7506W
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR16LA005
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
28 total
N7506WRegistration cancelled Feb 16, 2018 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-1418 · Built 1963Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

Airman taxied to runup, and he said he ran the engine up three times, because he wanted to be extra careful. He was in the hold area and when traffic was clear, he took the runway, checked for traffic one more time, and took off.

At approximately 400 feet AGL the engine ?shuttered? And lost power. Airman stated the engine was making a chugging noise as he was losing altitude. He switched the fuel tank from the right tank to the left tank, but nothing improved, so he reselected the right tank which had slightly more fuel.

Airman said, he remembered what his instructor told him: ?aviate, navigate, and communicate?. He then established best glide speed, between 60-70 knots. He then concentrated on landing.

Airman established a glide speed and began to look for a landing spot. A major street paralling the runway was too busy, so he picked a neighborhood to the north to land. He tried not to flare because he wanted to put in down in a particular spot. Airman survived crash with severe damage to his face.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMAN TAXIED TO RUNUP, AND HE SAID HE RAN THE ENGINE UP THREE TIMES, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO BE EXTRA CAREFUL. HE WAS IN THE HOLD AREA AND WHEN TRAFFIC WAS CLEAR, HE TOOK THE RUNWAY, CHECKED FOR TRAFFIC ONE MORE TIME, AND TOOK OFF.

AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET AGL THE ENGINE ?SHUTTERED? AND LOST POWER. AIRMAN STATED THE ENGINE WAS MAKING A CHUGGING NOISE AS HE WAS LOSING ALTITUDE. HE SWITCHED THE FUEL TANK FROM THE RIGHT TANK TO THE LEFT TANK, BUT NOTHING IMPROVED, SO HE RESELECTED THE RIGHT TANK WHICH HAD SLIGHTLY MORE FUEL.

AIRMAN SAID, HE REMEMBERED WHAT HIS INSTRUCTOR TOLD HIM: ?AVIATE, NAVIGATE, AND COMMUNICATE?. HE THEN ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPEED, BETWEEN 60-70 KNOTS. HE THEN CONCENTRATED ON LANDING.

AIRMAN ESTABLISHED A GLIDE SPEED AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A LANDING SPOT. A MAJOR STREET PARALLING THE RUNWAY WAS TOO BUSY, SO HE PICKED A NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH TO LAND. HE TRIED NOT TO FLARE BECAUSE HE WANTED TO PUT IN DOWN IN A PARTICULAR SPOT. AIRMAN SURVIVED CRASH WITH SEVERE DAMAGE TO HIS FACE.

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 WPR16LA005Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCompton, CAA total loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident engine examination did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.Oct 7, 2015 · Substantial damage