# Incident 20220915022639I: Piper PA-28-151, Bainbridge, GA, September 15, 2022

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 15, 2022, 13:00 local time
- Place: Bainbridge, GA
- Airport: Decatur County Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.9049° N, 84.5730° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bainbridge, GA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9049&lon=-84.5730&mi=10
- Aircraft: N43234, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N43234) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-151 (registry code 7102805, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-151) (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-28-151
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Student
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220915022639I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

I SPOKE WITH STUDENT PILOT AND ASK HIM TO RECALL THE EVENTS UP TO THE OFF FIELD LANDING THURSDAY SEPT. 15. WHICH HE PROVIDED IN HIS STATEMENT. HE STATED THAT HE MET WITH HIS CFI AND THEY WENT OVER THE FLIGHT PLANNING FOR THE FLIGHT FROM DOTHAN (DHN) TO TALLAHASSEE (TLH) TO BAINBRIDGE (BEG) BACK TO DOTHAN. HE STATED AFTER THE FLIGHT PLAN HE BEGAN HIS PRE-FLIGHT AND CHECKED THE EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR. NEXT HE SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS AND CHECKED THE FUEL LEVELS AND STATED HE REMEMBERED SEEING FUEL IN BOTH TANKS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE FULL BUT THE RIGHT TANK WAS NOT TO THE SILVER TABS. HE STATED THE FIRST LEG OF THE FLIGHT WAS SMOOTH AND SWITCHED TANKS 30 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, HE PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO AT TALLAHASSEE AND HEADED TO BAINBRIDGE SWITCHED TANKS AT THE ONE HOUR MARK. HE THEN ARRIVED AT BAINBRIDGE AND PERFORMED A TOUCH AND GO THEN COMPLETE THE FINAL LEG TO DOTHAN AL. NOTE: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED: THERE ARE VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS THAT NO TOUCH AND GOES ARE ALLOWED ON STUDENT SOLO FLIGHTS.  THE STUDENT STATED THAT ON THE CLIMB OUT HEADED TO DOTHAN AT APPROXIMATELY 1300 FT THE PROPELLER STOPPED SPINNING. AT THAT POINT HE CONTACTED TALLAHASSEE APPROACH TO INFORM THEM OF THE SITUATION AND ADVISED HIM TO TRY AND RETURN TO BAINBRIDGE (BEG) AIRPORT. HE STATED AS HE ATTEMPTED THE TURN, HE LOST ALTITUDE AT AN EXTREMELY FAST RATE AND REALIZED HE WOULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT. HE STATED HE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE SAFEST PLACE TO LAND. HE STATED HE SEEN A BROWN FIELD AND A GREEN FIELD AND HE CHOSE A BROWN FIELD. AS HE CAME IN HE STRUCK TWO POWER LINES THAT RAN ALONG THE SIDE OF THE FIELD. THE POWER LINES SNAPPED AND HE WAS ABLE TO LAND THE PLANE SAFELY.

AFTER COMPLETING THE INTERVIEW, THE STUDENT AND HIS FATHER LEFT THE FACILITY. I ALONG WITH ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, CFI, MECHANIC & DECATURE COUNTY AIRPORT MANAGER WENT TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT. I WENT TO THE COCKPIT TO VERIFY THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS ON THE R/H TANK AND THERE WAS NO VISIBLE FUEL SEEN IN THE R/H TANK CONFIRMED BY THE MECHANIC. I WAS ASKED BY THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. IF I WANTED HIM TO START THE ENGINE AND I SAID NO DUE TO THE FACT THE PROPELLER DID STRIKE THE POWERLINE AND UNTIL FURTHER INSPECTION I DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE ANY POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. I WALKED AROUND THE AIRCRAFT AND NOTED DAMAGE TO ONE PROPELLER BLADE CONSISTENT WITH A CABLE STRIKE, SIGNATURE MARKS ON THE NOSE LANDING GEAR, AND R/H WING LEADING EDGE.

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.

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