What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 26, 2020 at around 1400 CST. Instructor pilot, experienced a power loss during takeoff at a grass strip adjacent to restaurant in Crystal Beach, Texas. Student pilot taxied back all the way down to the very north end of the runway where they completed the runup and set for a southbound departure. They departed with soft-field settings and about 12 knots headwind. Student pilot put the airplane in ground effect. He nosed down to a normal angle of attack and gained speed before rotating at approximately 80 knots. A climb occurred followed by a drop in RPM. Instructor pilot's first reaction was checking the throttle control, but it was set to full power but with no significant engine performance. At that realization, instructor pilot took the control of the aircraft. He pushed the nose down while at 20 to 30 feet AGL. When he noticed that the airplane was not producing power to go over the power lines across the highway. He veered to the right of the strip and applied pedal (rudder turn) to keep airplane from stalling while turning. Due to the lack of performance, airplane was forced to land before it could fully complete the approximately 90-degree turn. The airplane was sliding to the left (crabbing), while the right main landing gear touched down and broke off the right wheel. The airplane touched down on the field at the northside of the highway but the airplane became uncontrollable immediately after touchdown. Airplane skidded across highway 87 and rested on the ditch and utility pole south of highway 87, located at gas station in Crystal Beach Texas. The nose gear collapsed. The nose landing gear fork and wheel broke off. The propeller was bent from the prop strike and the left wing leading edge was damaged by the utility pole. The right wing had a hole in bottom from landing gear breaking off and engine mount tube was broken off. There was no post crash fire or any injuries reported.
Weather data:
Kgls 261905 08012KT 10SM BKN008 BKN020 OVC042 26/21 A2995
Inspector?s statement
This is a statement of facts regarding an accident dated 10/26/2020 with aircraft PA-28 N32458, at Crystal Beach Texas private grass strip.
My involvement was to team up with pmi for this operation, to help determine the cause of the accident.
The following actions were taken to ascertain the cause.
We met with two mechanics to ready the aircraft for engine run, after aircraft was supported the mechanics ran the engine with no apparent issues.
?The engine was inspected, for any obvious damage with none found.
?Spark plugs were removed and inspected. Looked normal.
?Borescope was used to determine any damage within the cylinders. No damage was found.
?Compression checks were done with one cylinder below the limits. See pmi report
?Fuel was tested for water, with no water found in either tank, aircraft sumps, or engine.
Pmi and myself interviewed the pilot flying that day, after the interview and looking over all the evidence, the possible cause was that the runway had long grass that day and slowed the takeoff performance along with weak performance from the low engine compression.
Soft field, obstacle clearance; flaps were not set to 25 degrees iaw AFM operating instructions.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 26, 2020 AT AROUND 1400 CST. INSTRUCTOR PILOT, EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS DURING TAKEOFF AT A GRASS STRIP ADJACENT TO RESTAURANT IN CRYSTAL BEACH, TEXAS. STUDENT PILOT TAXIED BACK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE VERY NORTH END OF THE RUNWAY WHERE THEY COMPLETED THE RUNUP AND SET FOR A SOUTHBOUND DEPARTURE. THEY DEPARTED WITH SOFT-FIELD SETTINGS AND ABOUT 12 KNOTS HEADWIND. STUDENT PILOT PUT THE AIRPLANE IN GROUND EFFECT. HE NOSED DOWN TO A NORMAL ANGLE OF ATTACK AND GAINED SPEED BEFORE ROTATING AT APPROXIMATELY 80 KNOTS. A CLIMB OCCURRED FOLLOWED BY A DROP IN RPM. INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FIRST REACTION WAS CHECKING THE THROTTLE CONTROL, BUT IT WAS SET TO FULL POWER BUT WITH NO SIGNIFICANT ENGINE PERFORMANCE. AT THAT REALIZATION, INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK THE CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. HE PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN WHILE AT 20 TO 30 FEET AGL. WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER TO GO OVER THE POWER LINES ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. HE VEERED TO THE RIGHT OF THE STRIP AND APPLIED PEDAL (RUDDER TURN) TO KEEP AIRPLANE FROM STALLING WHILE TURNING. DUE TO THE LACK OF PERFORMANCE, AIRPLANE WAS FORCED TO LAND BEFORE IT COULD FULLY COMPLETE THE APPROXIMATELY 90-DEGREE TURN. THE AIRPLANE WAS SLIDING TO THE LEFT (CRABBING), WHILE THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR TOUCHED DOWN AND BROKE OFF THE RIGHT WHEEL. THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE FIELD AT THE NORTHSIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BUT THE AIRPLANE BECAME UNCONTROLLABLE IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN. AIRPLANE SKIDDED ACROSS HIGHWAY 87 AND RESTED ON THE DITCH AND UTILITY POLE SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 87, LOCATED AT GAS STATION IN CRYSTAL BEACH TEXAS. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE NOSE LANDING GEAR FORK AND WHEEL BROKE OFF. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT FROM THE PROP STRIKE AND THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE WAS DAMAGED BY THE UTILITY POLE. THE RIGHT WING HAD A HOLE IN BOTTOM FROM LANDING GEAR BREAKING OFF AND ENGINE MOUNT TUBE WAS BROKEN OFF. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE OR ANY INJURIES REPORTED.
WEATHER DATA:
KGLS 261905 08012KT 10SM BKN008 BKN020 OVC042 26/21 A2995
INSPECTOR?S STATEMENT
THIS IS A STATEMENT OF FACTS REGARDING AN ACCIDENT DATED 10/26/2020 WITH AIRCRAFT PA-28 N32458, AT CRYSTAL BEACH TEXAS PRIVATE GRASS STRIP.
MY INVOLVEMENT WAS TO TEAM UP WITH PMI FOR THIS OPERATION, TO HELP DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WERE TAKEN TO ASCERTAIN THE CAUSE.
WE MET WITH TWO MECHANICS TO READY THE AIRCRAFT FOR ENGINE RUN, AFTER AIRCRAFT WAS SUPPORTED THE MECHANICS RAN THE ENGINE WITH NO APPARENT ISSUES.
?THE ENGINE WAS INSPECTED, FOR ANY OBVIOUS DAMAGE WITH NONE FOUND.
?SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND INSPECTED. LOOKED NORMAL.
?BORESCOPE WAS USED TO DETERMINE ANY DAMAGE WITHIN THE CYLINDERS. NO DAMAGE WAS FOUND.
?COMPRESSION CHECKS WERE DONE WITH ONE CYLINDER BELOW THE LIMITS. SEE PMI REPORT
?FUEL WAS TESTED FOR WATER, WITH NO WATER FOUND IN EITHER TANK, AIRCRAFT SUMPS, OR ENGINE.
PMI AND MYSELF INTERVIEWED THE PILOT FLYING THAT DAY, AFTER THE INTERVIEW AND LOOKING OVER ALL THE EVIDENCE, THE POSSIBLE CAUSE WAS THAT THE RUNWAY HAD LONG GRASS THAT DAY AND SLOWED THE TAKEOFF PERFORMANCE ALONG WITH WEAK PERFORMANCE FROM THE LOW ENGINE COMPRESSION.
SOFT FIELD, OBSTACLE CLEARANCE; FLAPS WERE NOT SET TO 25 DEGREES IAW AFM OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS.
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 N32458 · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.