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20180719011679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Shreveport, LA · July 19, 2018

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 19, 2018 · 08:02 local
Place
Shreveport, LA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N7080F
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN18LA281
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
265 total8 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days
N7080FRegistration cancelled Mar 5, 2022 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7725085Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine 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.

The aircraft was being flown after the annual inspection. The flight remained in the traffic pattern for two circuits then exited toward the north practice area. The pilot realized the plane was not climbing very well and elected to return to the airport. Enroute back to the airport, the pilot observed the heading indicator precessing and the attitude indicator tumbling. He then discovered the vacuum gage indicated zero vacuum. The engine loss power and pilot set up best glide back to the airport runway. Pilot placed the fuel selector on the fullest tank (left tank). The aircraft came down short of the runway hitting an embankment just north of the runway, shearing off both gear struts and collapsing the nose strut assy into floor of the aircraft. The aircraft came to rest in the runway boundary fence and pilot exited the aircraft. The pilot had minor injures.

Preliminary inspection revealed the vacuum pump shaft sheared and very old (20 years by logbook and rebuilt). The fuel selector was in the left position according to the pilot statement and when the left fuel cap was removed, the fuel level was just covering the bottom of the tank. Right fuel tank was almost full. No fuel smell noticed at accident site. Aircraft removed to storage facility for further investigation.

Futher investrigation revealed no fuel in fuel lines forward of the firewall and very little in the carburetor bowl. Two spark plugs found oily and all lower plugs showing rust and lead despoits. Left wing fuel tank was found breached by a small tear on the inboard leading edge.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING FLOWN AFTER THE ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE FLIGHT REMAINED IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR TWO CIRCUITS THEN EXITED TOWARD THE NORTH PRACTICE AREA. THE PILOT REALIZED THE PLANE WAS NOT CLIMBING VERY WELL AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. ENROUTE BACK TO THE AIRPORT, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE HEADING INDICATOR PRECESSING AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR TUMBLING. HE THEN DISCOVERED THE VACUUM GAGE INDICATED ZERO VACUUM. THE ENGINE LOSS POWER AND PILOT SET UP BEST GLIDE BACK TO THE AIRPORT RUNWAY. PILOT PLACED THE FUEL SELECTOR ON THE FULLEST TANK (LEFT TANK). THE AIRCRAFT CAME DOWN SHORT OF THE RUNWAY HITTING AN EMBANKMENT JUST NORTH OF THE RUNWAY, SHEARING OFF BOTH GEAR STRUTS AND COLLAPSING THE NOSE STRUT ASSY INTO FLOOR OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN THE RUNWAY BOUNDARY FENCE AND PILOT EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT HAD MINOR INJURES.

PRELIMINARY INSPECTION REVEALED THE VACUUM PUMP SHAFT SHEARED AND VERY OLD (20 YEARS BY LOGBOOK AND REBUILT). THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION ACCORDING TO THE PILOT STATEMENT AND WHEN THE LEFT FUEL CAP WAS REMOVED, THE FUEL LEVEL WAS JUST COVERING THE BOTTOM OF THE TANK. RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS ALMOST FULL. NO FUEL SMELL NOTICED AT ACCIDENT SITE. AIRCRAFT REMOVED TO STORAGE FACILITY FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

FUTHER INVESTRIGATION REVEALED NO FUEL IN FUEL LINES FORWARD OF THE FIREWALL AND VERY LITTLE IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL. TWO SPARK PLUGS FOUND OILY AND ALL LOWER PLUGS SHOWING RUST AND LEAD DESPOITS. LEFT WING FUEL TANK WAS FOUND BREACHED BY A SMALL TEAR ON THE INBOARD LEADING EDGE.

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 CEN18LA281Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportShreveport, LAThe partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.Jul 19, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7080F · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19770910027319ALevel Off Touchdown · Fraser, MIGusting 20K.prop,cowling,firewall dmgd.Sep 10, 1977 · Substantial damage