20170815017979A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Ball Ground, GA · August 15, 2017

Date
August 15, 2017 · 16:30 local
Place
Ball Ground, GA
Airport
Cherokee County Airport
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2804T
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA277
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320-E3D
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor

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.

Reduction in engine power experienced on take off with worsening effects as altitude increased during climb out. Approximately 200'AGL, engine power was not sufficient enough to support continued climb out. The certified flight instructor (CFI) took control of the aircraft. The CFI looked for for landing options as the student pilot called out stall alerts. The CFI turned back towards the runway and landed the aircraft through a chain link fence and onto an embankment just below the north east side of the departure end of runway 05. The student pilot was rendered unconscious after impact. The CFI exited the aircraft and immediately turned back into the cockpit to get the student pilot, whom had regained consciousness, to unlatch his seatbelt and both the student pilot and CFI walked away from the aircraft with minor injuries. The aircraft caught fire post-accident.

As the FAA filed it

REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER EXPERIENCED ON TAKE OFF WITH WORSENING EFFECTS AS ALTITUDE INCREASED DURING CLIMB OUT. APPROXIMATELY 200'AGL, ENGINE POWER WAS NOT SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO SUPPORT CONTINUED CLIMB OUT. THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI) TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE CFI LOOKED FOR FOR LANDING OPTIONS AS THE STUDENT PILOT CALLED OUT STALL ALERTS. THE CFI TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE RUNWAY AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT THROUGH A CHAIN LINK FENCE AND ONTO AN EMBANKMENT JUST BELOW THE NORTH EAST SIDE OF THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 05. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS RENDERED UNCONSCIOUS AFTER IMPACT. THE CFI EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND IMMEDIATELY TURNED BACK INTO THE COCKPIT TO GET THE STUDENT PILOT, WHOM HAD REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, TO UNLATCH HIS SEATBELT AND BOTH THE STUDENT PILOT AND CFI WALKED AWAY FROM THE AIRCRAFT WITH MINOR INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT FIRE POST-ACCIDENT.

NTSB investigation

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