20181003016659A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-180 · Smithville, TN · October 3, 2018

Date
October 3, 2018 · 17:00 local
Place
Smithville, TN
Airport
Smithville Municipal
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8371P
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA19LA004
Reported as
Piper PA-24-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
830 total432 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

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 pilot started the engine and confirmed he had good oil pressure and fuel pressure. He then taxied to the runway hold short line and waited for traffic too clear the active runway, which took aproximatily ten minutes. He then back taxied on runway six for departure on runway 24. He did a runup, on the pull off of runway 24 which included cycling the prop three times and a mag check. He verified that all indications and instruments were correct. Upon competion he started his roll on runway 24. He checked for maximun RPM?s and airspeed coming up and rotated at 70MPH. He was climbing out at 100MPH and between 200? And 300? AGL when he had a total loss of power. He was 2/3 the way down the runway(runway length is 4257 feet), and elected to attempt to land the plane on the available runway. While preparing to land he dropped the gear and touched down on the runway. The gear was not locked down and it collapsed upon touchdown. Approxamately 100 feet from the end of the runway the propeller struck the runway surface multiple times. The aircraft then departed the end of the runway and slid on its belly in the grass for about 150 feet. The aircraft then went over an embankment, about 10 feet high, and came belly down on an asphalt road. It stopped shortly after impacting a fence post and tearing down a barb wire fence next to the asphalt road.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT STARTED THE ENGINE AND CONFIRMED HE HAD GOOD OIL PRESSURE AND FUEL PRESSURE. HE THEN TAXIED TO THE RUNWAY HOLD SHORT LINE AND WAITED FOR TRAFFIC TOO CLEAR THE ACTIVE RUNWAY, WHICH TOOK APROXIMATILY TEN MINUTES. HE THEN BACK TAXIED ON RUNWAY SIX FOR DEPARTURE ON RUNWAY 24. HE DID A RUNUP, ON THE PULL OFF OF RUNWAY 24 WHICH INCLUDED CYCLING THE PROP THREE TIMES AND A MAG CHECK. HE VERIFIED THAT ALL INDICATIONS AND INSTRUMENTS WERE CORRECT. UPON COMPETION HE STARTED HIS ROLL ON RUNWAY 24. HE CHECKED FOR MAXIMUN RPM?S AND AIRSPEED COMING UP AND ROTATED AT 70MPH. HE WAS CLIMBING OUT AT 100MPH AND BETWEEN 200? AND 300? AGL WHEN HE HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF POWER. HE WAS 2/3 THE WAY DOWN THE RUNWAY(RUNWAY LENGTH IS 4257 FEET), AND ELECTED TO ATTEMPT TO LAND THE PLANE ON THE AVAILABLE RUNWAY. WHILE PREPARING TO LAND HE DROPPED THE GEAR AND TOUCHED DOWN ON THE RUNWAY. THE GEAR WAS NOT LOCKED DOWN AND IT COLLAPSED UPON TOUCHDOWN. APPROXAMATELY 100 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY THE PROPELLER STRUCK THE RUNWAY SURFACE MULTIPLE TIMES. THE AIRCRAFT THEN DEPARTED THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND SLID ON ITS BELLY IN THE GRASS FOR ABOUT 150 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT THEN WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT, ABOUT 10 FEET HIGH, AND CAME BELLY DOWN ON AN ASPHALT ROAD. IT STOPPED SHORTLY AFTER IMPACTING A FENCE POST AND TEARING DOWN A BARB WIRE FENCE NEXT TO THE ASPHALT ROAD.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N8371P · 1

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