What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 6/25/2021 at 1000 CDT, a Piper PA-28-140, s/n 28-22564, N4216J, was attempting to take off on runway 17 at north houston airport (9X1), when the aircraft experienced a rough running engine. After becoming airborne, the aircraft entered a right turn to the west, were it descended and attempted to land in a cleared field, impacting a drainage ditch and sustaining substantial damage. The aircraft was being operated as a 14 CFR part 91 flight, repositioning the aircraft to kcxo. The left wing was detached from the fuselage, along with the left main landing and nose strut. The right main landing gear was collapsed and folded under the right wing. The engine cowls and lower forward fuselage exhibited impact damage from the ditch; the propeller was found to be parallel to the ground and exhibited very little damage, indicating that the engine was probably not under power at the time of impact. The lower, mid-section of the fuselage, between the cargo compartment and the stabilizer section, exhibited damage consistent with impact with the ditch along with crumpling of the sides and top structure.
One witness indicated that he heard the aircraft doing the engine run-ups prior to takeoff, and stated that the engine did not appear to be making power during the magneto checks, which the pilot did several times. Another witness stated that as the aircraft proceeded down the runway, the aircraft was not at full power.
From statements provided by both pilot?s onboard, during takeoff and climb out the aircraft airspeed was no longer building. The decision was made to ?terminate the climb as to avoid any stalling to keep whatever airspeed we have?. They began a 30° turn to the right noticing a construction site and made the decision to put the plane down. Continued from the pilot?s statement: ?with the site made we touch the ground in which I was prepared to retract the flaps for aerodynamic braking as to not continue floating since the site was small and I did not want to continue bouncing into the trees. We hit an embankment which stops the plane.?
The aircraft records indicate that the last airframe, engine and propeller annual inspections were completed at airframe total time: 3174.54 on March 11, 2021. All inspections were completed in accordance with the Piper cherokee service manual and 14 CFR part 43, appendix d.
The NTSB and FAA will conduct an investigation of the aircraft engine. When any other additional information becomes available, this report will be amended as necessary.
As the FAA filed it
ON 6/25/2021 AT 1000 CDT, A PIPER PA-28-140, S/N 28-22564, N4216J, WAS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE OFF ON RUNWAY 17 AT NORTH HOUSTON AIRPORT (9X1), WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE, THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED A RIGHT TURN TO THE WEST, WERE IT DESCENDED AND ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A CLEARED FIELD, IMPACTING A DRAINAGE DITCH AND SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, REPOSITIONING THE AIRCRAFT TO KCXO. THE LEFT WING WAS DETACHED FROM THE FUSELAGE, ALONG WITH THE LEFT MAIN LANDING AND NOSE STRUT. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS COLLAPSED AND FOLDED UNDER THE RIGHT WING. THE ENGINE COWLS AND LOWER FORWARD FUSELAGE EXHIBITED IMPACT DAMAGE FROM THE DITCH; THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND TO BE PARALLEL TO THE GROUND AND EXHIBITED VERY LITTLE DAMAGE, INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE WAS PROBABLY NOT UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE LOWER, MID-SECTION OF THE FUSELAGE, BETWEEN THE CARGO COMPARTMENT AND THE STABILIZER SECTION, EXHIBITED DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT WITH THE DITCH ALONG WITH CRUMPLING OF THE SIDES AND TOP STRUCTURE.
ONE WITNESS INDICATED THAT HE HEARD THE AIRCRAFT DOING THE ENGINE RUN-UPS PRIOR TO TAKEOFF, AND STATED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MAKING POWER DURING THE MAGNETO CHECKS, WHICH THE PILOT DID SEVERAL TIMES. ANOTHER WITNESS STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED DOWN THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT AT FULL POWER.
FROM STATEMENTS PROVIDED BY BOTH PILOT?S ONBOARD, DURING TAKEOFF AND CLIMB OUT THE AIRCRAFT AIRSPEED WAS NO LONGER BUILDING. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO ?TERMINATE THE CLIMB AS TO AVOID ANY STALLING TO KEEP WHATEVER AIRSPEED WE HAVE?. THEY BEGAN A 30° TURN TO THE RIGHT NOTICING A CONSTRUCTION SITE AND MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THE PLANE DOWN. CONTINUED FROM THE PILOT?S STATEMENT: ?WITH THE SITE MADE WE TOUCH THE GROUND IN WHICH I WAS PREPARED TO RETRACT THE FLAPS FOR AERODYNAMIC BRAKING AS TO NOT CONTINUE FLOATING SINCE THE SITE WAS SMALL AND I DID NOT WANT TO CONTINUE BOUNCING INTO THE TREES. WE HIT AN EMBANKMENT WHICH STOPS THE PLANE.?
THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST AIRFRAME, ENGINE AND PROPELLER ANNUAL INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED AT AIRFRAME TOTAL TIME: 3174.54 ON MARCH 11, 2021. ALL INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PIPER CHEROKEE SERVICE MANUAL AND 14 CFR PART 43, APPENDIX D.
THE NTSB AND FAA WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE. WHEN ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE, THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED AS NECESSARY.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.