What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Eon message text: Union, SC (35A): N33859, PA28, experienced engine trouble while departing runway 23 and crashed next to the runway. Pilot was transported to the hospital via air ambulance. POB: 1, injuries: 1 unknown, damage: extent unknown. 09/27/2020 1330Z
Pilot statement: on September 27, 2020 left Union county airport around 9:10 a.m. completed usual check for weather with apps on cell (accuweather and fitplan) and pre-check. Takeoff was normal with clouds but limited visibility. About 5 minutes into flight, plane engine seemed rough and not delivering power. Plane had difficulty climbing and noticeable decrease of power. Went on straight course in order not to lose attitude, making slow turn back to Union airport. Visibly was getting worst which along with handicapped plane made landing difficult. First attempt aborted due to location on runway. Tried to get better position for landing but plane loss lift and then could not maneuver with total engine failure. Last remember seeing tops of trees.
Please call with any questions. I will visit remains of plane in hanger in Union and look for the pilot logbook. I will let you know asap, if locate.
Inspector statement: on Saturday September 27, 2020, inspector received a call from the regional operation center (roc) about N33859 about 10:30 am. The aircraft crashed at the Union county airport (35A). The aircraft was experiencing engine trouble with one person aboard. The pilot was transported with injuries to local hospital.
Drove to the Union county airport and met with fire chief privacy data omitted. The aircraft appears to have been on a northeast heading and turning to the left when the left wing hit a pine tree. The left wing departed the aircraft and the aircraft came to rest on its right side facing in a southwest heading. The right wing was upside down and separated from the fuselage. There was leading edge impact damage to both wings consistent with contact from trees. Post-crash fire consumed most of the cabin area. The propeller did not exhibit any rotation damage. The horizontal stabilizer appears to have broken as it contacted the ground. Flight control cables in the fuselage area appear to be connected at both ends. Fire damage to the instrument panel area made identifying engine controls in its current position impossible. The carburetor air box had melted away.
The weather at the airport at the time he took off was thick fog. privacy data omitted Departed and after about 20 minutes witnesses heard the aircraft come back but was sputtering. privacy data omitted Said he got a radio and contacted privacy data omitted on 122.7 and privacy data omitted said I am in trouble. privacy data omitted Circled the airport several times and at one time privacy data omitted stated he had him lined up with runway 23 at one point. The aircraft was experiencing engine trouble as they could hear it was not making power. At the time the tree was hit he was flying low and on a northeast heading.
As the FAA filed it
EON MESSAGE TEXT: UNION, SC (35A): N33859, PA28, EXPERIENCED ENGINE TROUBLE WHILE DEPARTING RUNWAY 23 AND CRASHED NEXT TO THE RUNWAY. PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AIR AMBULANCE. POB: 1, INJURIES: 1 UNKNOWN, DAMAGE: EXTENT UNKNOWN. 09/27/2020 1330Z
PILOT STATEMENT: ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2020 LEFT UNION COUNTY AIRPORT AROUND 9:10 A.M. COMPLETED USUAL CHECK FOR WEATHER WITH APPS ON CELL (ACCUWEATHER AND FITPLAN) AND PRE-CHECK. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL WITH CLOUDS BUT LIMITED VISIBILITY. ABOUT 5 MINUTES INTO FLIGHT, PLANE ENGINE SEEMED ROUGH AND NOT DELIVERING POWER. PLANE HAD DIFFICULTY CLIMBING AND NOTICEABLE DECREASE OF POWER. WENT ON STRAIGHT COURSE IN ORDER NOT TO LOSE ATTITUDE, MAKING SLOW TURN BACK TO UNION AIRPORT. VISIBLY WAS GETTING WORST WHICH ALONG WITH HANDICAPPED PLANE MADE LANDING DIFFICULT. FIRST ATTEMPT ABORTED DUE TO LOCATION ON RUNWAY. TRIED TO GET BETTER POSITION FOR LANDING BUT PLANE LOSS LIFT AND THEN COULD NOT MANEUVER WITH TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. LAST REMEMBER SEEING TOPS OF TREES.
PLEASE CALL WITH ANY QUESTIONS. I WILL VISIT REMAINS OF PLANE IN HANGER IN UNION AND LOOK FOR THE PILOT LOGBOOK. I WILL LET YOU KNOW ASAP, IF LOCATE.
INSPECTOR STATEMENT: ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2020, INSPECTOR RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE REGIONAL OPERATION CENTER (ROC) ABOUT N33859 ABOUT 10:30 AM. THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT THE UNION COUNTY AIRPORT (35A). THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE WITH ONE PERSON ABOARD. THE PILOT WAS TRANSPORTED WITH INJURIES TO LOCAL HOSPITAL.
DROVE TO THE UNION COUNTY AIRPORT AND MET WITH FIRE CHIEF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ON A NORTHEAST HEADING AND TURNING TO THE LEFT WHEN THE LEFT WING HIT A PINE TREE. THE LEFT WING DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE FACING IN A SOUTHWEST HEADING. THE RIGHT WING WAS UPSIDE DOWN AND SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE. THERE WAS LEADING EDGE IMPACT DAMAGE TO BOTH WINGS CONSISTENT WITH CONTACT FROM TREES. POST-CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MOST OF THE CABIN AREA. THE PROPELLER DID NOT EXHIBIT ANY ROTATION DAMAGE. THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZER APPEARS TO HAVE BROKEN AS IT CONTACTED THE GROUND. FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES IN THE FUSELAGE AREA APPEAR TO BE CONNECTED AT BOTH ENDS. FIRE DAMAGE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AREA MADE IDENTIFYING ENGINE CONTROLS IN ITS CURRENT POSITION IMPOSSIBLE. THE CARBURETOR AIR BOX HAD MELTED AWAY.
THE WEATHER AT THE AIRPORT AT THE TIME HE TOOK OFF WAS THICK FOG. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED AND AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES WITNESSES HEARD THE AIRCRAFT COME BACK BUT WAS SPUTTERING. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID HE GOT A RADIO AND CONTACTED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ON 122.7 AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SAID I AM IN TROUBLE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CIRCLED THE AIRPORT SEVERAL TIMES AND AT ONE TIME ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED HE HAD HIM LINED UP WITH RUNWAY 23 AT ONE POINT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING ENGINE TROUBLE AS THEY COULD HEAR IT WAS NOT MAKING POWER. AT THE TIME THE TREE WAS HIT HE WAS FLYING LOW AND ON A NORTHEAST HEADING.
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 N33859 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.