20180812011039A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32R-300 · South Beloit, IL · August 12, 2018

Date: August 12, 2018 · 08:00 local
Place: South Beloit, IL
Airport: Beloit
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9894K
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN18LA328
Reported as: Piper PA-32R-300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,500 total800 in this make and model

N9894KRegistration cancelled Jul 31, 2021 · Piper PA-32R-300S/N 32R-7880041 Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-300

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.

N9894K departed runway 25 at the Beloit Airport, Beloit, Wisconsin (44C). The pilot stated that he heard a loud ?bang? Shortly after rotation and that the upper nose cowling came loose following the ?bang.? The pilot stated that he initially reduced the power to try to land back on runway 25, but, after determining that he would not have enough runway to execute the landing he decided to add power to climb. During the left-crosswind turn, the pilot became concerned that the nose cowling would completely detach and crash through the windshield. The pilot stated that he could not sustain a climb and made a forced landing in a cornfield south of the airport.

The aircraft sustained substantial damage. One of the passengers was seriously injured; the other passenger and the pilot sustained minor injuries. There was no post-crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

N9894K DEPARTED RUNWAY 25 AT THE BELOIT AIRPORT, BELOIT, WISCONSIN (44C). THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD A LOUD ?BANG? SHORTLY AFTER ROTATION AND THAT THE UPPER NOSE COWLING CAME LOOSE FOLLOWING THE ?BANG.? THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INITIALLY REDUCED THE POWER TO TRY TO LAND BACK ON RUNWAY 25, BUT, AFTER DETERMINING THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH RUNWAY TO EXECUTE THE LANDING HE DECIDED TO ADD POWER TO CLIMB. DURING THE LEFT-CROSSWIND TURN, THE PILOT BECAME CONCERNED THAT THE NOSE COWLING WOULD COMPLETELY DETACH AND CRASH THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT SUSTAIN A CLIMB AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A CORNFIELD SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED; THE OTHER PASSENGER AND THE PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES. THERE WAS NO POST-CRASH FIRE.

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 CEN18LA328Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSouth Beloit, ILThe pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed after being startled and distracted when the engine cowling opened during takeoff, which led to a subsequent impact with terrain.Aug 12, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9894K · 1

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

Incident 20040913034849INormal Cruise · Precatonica, IL(-23) Aircraft was flying straight and level at 2,500 MSL when the engine shook, then quit. The pilot was able to land the aircraft on a rural road without injury or further damage to the aircraft. The engine had been worked on within the last 25 hours of…Sep 13, 2004