# Accident 20200927015729A: Piper PA-28-151, Union, SC, September 27, 2020 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 27, 2020, 09:30 local time - Place: Union, SC - Airport: Union County, Troy Shelton Fie - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.6870° N, 81.6412° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.6870&lon=-81.6412&mi=10 - Aircraft: N33859, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N33859-2021-06-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-151 (registry code 7102805, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-151 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Private pilot - Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 700 in this make and model, 10 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA20LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA335) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200927015729A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA20LA335](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA335), Sep 27, 2020: Piper PA28 (N33859), Union, SC, destroyed. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the development of carburetor icing. ## Other reports on N33859 (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19800803068269I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800803068269I), Aug 3, 1980: Piper PA28151 (N33859), Woodbridge, VA, Substantial damage. Ran off end of runway after landing downwind. - [Accident 19760703017829A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760703017829A), Jul 3, 1976: Piper PA28151 (N33859), Baltimore, MD, Substantial damage From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.