20201218020679A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Tampa, FL · December 18, 2020

Date: December 18, 2020 · 13:20 local
Place: Tampa, FL
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N6978W
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA081
Reported as: Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 965 total244 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days

N6978WRegistration cancelled Dec 3, 2022 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-21176 · Built 1965 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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.

On December 18, 2020, at 1320 EST, a Piper PA-28-140, N6978W, registered to privacy data omitted, collided with a power line pole after losing engine power while on approach during an emergency landing to runway 01R at Tampa international airport, FL (tpa). The flight was a dual instruction training flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a VFR flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed after catching fire and burning, and the certificated flight instructor and student pilot in the seat opposite the instructor pilot were seriously injured, and the other student pilot in the back seat (classified as passenger for the purpose of this report) also sustained serious injuries. The flight originated at tpa earlier that day, at approximately 0900 EST.

06/15/2021 - Amended block 20 of this report to update the passenger's injury from minor to serious. Also amended the aforementioned narrative to classify the passenger's injuries as serious.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 18, 2020, AT 1320 EST, A PIPER PA-28-140, N6978W, REGISTERED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, COLLIDED WITH A POWER LINE POLE AFTER LOSING ENGINE POWER WHILE ON APPROACH DURING AN EMERGENCY LANDING TO RUNWAY 01R AT TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, FL (TPA). THE FLIGHT WAS A DUAL INSTRUCTION TRAINING FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND A VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AFTER CATCHING FIRE AND BURNING, AND THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT IN THE SEAT OPPOSITE THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED, AND THE OTHER STUDENT PILOT IN THE BACK SEAT (CLASSIFIED AS PASSENGER FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT) ALSO SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TPA EARLIER THAT DAY, AT APPROXIMATELY 0900 EST.

06/15/2021 - AMENDED BLOCK 20 OF THIS REPORT TO UPDATE THE PASSENGER'S INJURY FROM MINOR TO SERIOUS. ALSO AMENDED THE AFOREMENTIONED NARRATIVE TO CLASSIFY THE PASSENGER'S INJURIES AS SERIOUS.

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 ERA21LA081Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportTampa, FLA total loss of engine power due to the student pilot inadvertently moving the fuel selector to the OFF position.Dec 18, 2020 · Destroyed

Other reports on N6978W · 1

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

Incident 19810325019939IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Berkeley Spring, WVLost control on touchdown rollout due to wind. Ran off runway.Mar 25, 1981 · Minor damage