# Accident 20210624008129A: Piper PA-28-161, Easton, MD, June 24, 2021 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 24, 2021, 11:09 local time - Place: Easton, MD - Airport: Easton/Newnam Field - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 38.8139° N, 76.0657° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.8139&lon=-76.0657&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2143G, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2143G-2023-12-11) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (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-28-161 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 1 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 11 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA267) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210624008129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. AT EASTON AIRPORT (ESN), EASTON, MD, ON 6/24/2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1109 LOCAL TIME, A STUDENT PILOT WHILE ON HIS FIRST SOLO EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL ONE TIME AROUND THE PATTERN THE STUDENT MADE A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AND TAKEOFF FOR HIS SECOND TIME AROUND. AS HE WAS CLIMBING OUT ON HIS SECOND TAKEOFF HE EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING HIS CLIMB OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 500 TO 700 FEET. THE STUDENT PILOT MADE AN EMERGENCY, ENGINE OUT, OFF FIELD LANDING. THE CRASH LANDING WAS IN A SMALL BUSINESS PARK WHICH WAS ON THE DOWNWIND FOR THE RUNWAY IN USE AT THE TIME RUNWAY 4. UNFORTUNATELY HE LANDED ON SOME STEEL THAT HAD BEEN LAID OUT ON THE GROUND FOR A BUILDING THAT WAS BEING ERECTED IN THE PARK. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN HARD RIGHT WING LOW AND SUBSEQUENTLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HIMSELF FROM THE WRECKAGE AND THEN IMMEDIATELY WAS PULLED EVEN FURTHER FROM WRECKAGE BY A COUPLE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS WHO WERE NEAR BY ERECTING STEEL ON THE NEARBY BUILDING. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY THE POST CRASH FIRE. ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 AN ENGINE TEAR DOWN AND AIRFRAME EXAMINATION WAS PERFORMED AT ANGLIN AIRCRAFT RECOVERY IN CLAYTON, DE. ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS FROM THE NTSB, PIPER AIRCRAFT, LYCOMING AND THE FAA CONDUCTED THE EXAMINATIONS. AFTER EXAMINING THE ENGINE THE INVESTIGATOR FOR LYCOMING FOUND NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE ENGINE FROM DEVELOPING POWER. THE AIRFRAME INVESTIGATOR FROM PIPER ALSO FOUND NOTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE AIRPLANE FROM BEING OPERATED NORMALLY, HOWEVER THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND TO BE IN A POSITION BETWEEN THE LEFT AND RIGHT TANK POSITION. ALTHOUGH NOT CONCLUSIVE. IF THE AIRCRAFT WERE OPERATED WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR IN THIS POSITION IT LIKELY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A REDUCTION IN FUEL FLOW OR POSSIBLE STARVATION OF FUEL TO THE ENGINE. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS PLACED IN THAT POSITION DURING THE FLIGHT OR WHETHER THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT MOVED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THAT POSITION. THIS OFFICE HAS COMPLETED ITS INVESTIGATION AND CONSIDERS THIS MATTER CLOSED. THE NTSB FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT WILL LIKELY BE COMPLETED WITHIN A YEAR. KESN 241445Z 07005KT 10SM CLR 24/10 A3040 ## 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 ERA21LA267](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA267), Jun 24, 2021: Piper PA-28-161 (N2143G), Easton, MD, destroyed. Probable cause: A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined. ## Other reports on N2143G (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20080430837319I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080430837319I), Apr 30, 2008: Piper PA28161 (N2143G), Merritt Island, FL, Minor damage. (-23) On April 30, 2008, at 1115 eastern daylight time, a Piper, PA-28-161, N2143G, experienced the loss operational control during landing, at kcoi, in… - [Incident 20070428010009I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070428010009I), Apr 28, 2007: Piper PA28161 (N2143G), Orlando, FL, Minor damage. (-23) After landing on runway 33 at Kissimmee airport (ism), the pilot was instructed by the tower to turn right on taxiway A3. During the turn onto taxiway A3… 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.