What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 30, 2022, at 0810 eastern standard time, a Piper, PA32, saratoga, N4303P, sustained substantial damage following a collision with a tree while landing on a gravel road after having lost engine power in flight. The accident took place near the town of Loogootee, Indiana approximately 10 minutes after takeoff from huntingburg airport (hnb).
The pilot and his passenger were not injured. The aircraft was registered to the pilot and was being operated under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed or required.
The pilot stated that about 10 minutes after takeoff from hnb and at about 3000 feet that they experienced loss of engine power. The engine did not stop completely but would not accelerate beyond idle. The pilot determined that they were too FAR from an airport and elected a gravel roadway to land as the fields were soft from rain. The passenger (also an FAA certificated pilot) accomplished the emergency loss of power procedures, but the engine would not run beyond idle.
Upon landing on the gravel road, before the pilot was able to stop the aircraft, the aircraft struck a tree with its left wing spinning the aircraft to the left and nosing it into a ditch. Damage to the blade tips give indication that the engine was still running at the time it landed. One blade was bent aft ward, consistent with the aircraft nosing into the ditch.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 30, 2022, AT 0810 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER, PA32, SARATOGA, N4303P, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FOLLOWING A COLLISION WITH A TREE WHILE LANDING ON A GRAVEL ROAD AFTER HAVING LOST ENGINE POWER IN FLIGHT. THE ACCIDENT TOOK PLACE NEAR THE TOWN OF LOOGOOTEE, INDIANA APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM HUNTINGBURG AIRPORT (HNB).
THE PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO THE PILOT AND WAS BEING OPERATED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED OR REQUIRED.
THE PILOT STATED THAT ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF FROM HNB AND AT ABOUT 3000 FEET THAT THEY EXPERIENCED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE DID NOT STOP COMPLETELY BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE BEYOND IDLE. THE PILOT DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE TOO FAR FROM AN AIRPORT AND ELECTED A GRAVEL ROADWAY TO LAND AS THE FIELDS WERE SOFT FROM RAIN. THE PASSENGER (ALSO AN FAA CERTIFICATED PILOT) ACCOMPLISHED THE EMERGENCY LOSS OF POWER PROCEDURES, BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RUN BEYOND IDLE.
UPON LANDING ON THE GRAVEL ROAD, BEFORE THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE WITH ITS LEFT WING SPINNING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEFT AND NOSING IT INTO A DITCH. DAMAGE TO THE BLADE TIPS GIVE INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AT THE TIME IT LANDED. ONE BLADE WAS BENT AFT WARD, CONSISTENT WITH THE AIRCRAFT NOSING INTO THE DITCH.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.