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20210606006739A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-260 · Robbinsville, NJ · June 6, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 6, 2021 · 16:00 local
Place
Robbinsville, NJ
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N79RG
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA21LA241
Reported as
Piper PA-24-260
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Student
Pilot’s flight hours
76 total12 in the last 90 days
N79RGRegistered now · Piper PA-24-260S/N 24-4399 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-24-260Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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 06/06/2021, a student pilot, operating solo, without appropriate endorsements for solo, complex aircraft, and high performance aircraft, departed trenton-Robbinsville airport (N87) in Robbinsville, NJ. Immediately after take off, the airman experienced a loss of power, and elected to return to N87. The approach then became unstable as the airman decided the aircraft was going too fast for a landing. After the go-around, the airman experienced another loss of power. The airman elected to make an off-airport landing on a road adjacent to N87, and in the process of making an emergency gear-up landing, the aircraft struck two utility poles, slid through an intersecting road, and came to rest. The student pilot sustained serious injuries. The aircraft sustained the following substantial damage; left wing had partially separated from the aircraft; right wing tip separated from the aircraft; damage to the underside of fuselage; damage to propeller and spinner; damage to nose gear and adjacent structure.

As the FAA filed it

ON 06/06/2021, A STUDENT PILOT, OPERATING SOLO, WITHOUT APPROPRIATE ENDORSEMENTS FOR SOLO, COMPLEX AIRCRAFT, AND HIGH PERFORMANCE AIRCRAFT, DEPARTED TRENTON-ROBBINSVILLE AIRPORT (N87) IN ROBBINSVILLE, NJ. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKE OFF, THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER, AND ELECTED TO RETURN TO N87. THE APPROACH THEN BECAME UNSTABLE AS THE AIRMAN DECIDED THE AIRCRAFT WAS GOING TOO FAST FOR A LANDING. AFTER THE GO-AROUND, THE AIRMAN EXPERIENCED ANOTHER LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRMAN ELECTED TO MAKE AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING ON A ROAD ADJACENT TO N87, AND IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING AN EMERGENCY GEAR-UP LANDING, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TWO UTILITY POLES, SLID THROUGH AN INTERSECTING ROAD, AND CAME TO REST. THE STUDENT PILOT SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED THE FOLLOWING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; LEFT WING HAD PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT; RIGHT WING TIP SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT; DAMAGE TO THE UNDERSIDE OF FUSELAGE; DAMAGE TO PROPELLER AND SPINNER; DAMAGE TO NOSE GEAR AND ADJACENT STRUCTURE.

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 ERA21LA241Accident · Serious injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportRobbinsville, NJThe pilot’s mismanagement of fuel, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.Jun 6, 2021 · Substantial damage