20240513008399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22 · Enderlin, ND · May 13, 2024

Date: May 13, 2024 · 09:30 local
Place: Enderlin, ND
Airport: Sky Haven Municipal
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N669A
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN24LA184
Reported as: Piper PA-22
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

N669ARegistered now · Piper PA-22S/N 22-71 · Built 1951 Airframe modelPiper PA-22 Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

Pilot reported that after takeoff the engine started running rough. Pilot pulled carb heat and engine got better momentarily, but then started running rough again. Pilot decided to try to turn back to the airport, but did not have enough power to maintain altitude. Engine quit at 50 feet above the ground, and aircraft stalled at 10 feet over an open smooth field. A hard touch down caused the nose wheel to dig and subsequently collapse which caused the aircraft to flip over.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. PILOT PULLED CARB HEAT AND ENGINE GOT BETTER MOMENTARILY, BUT THEN STARTED RUNNING ROUGH AGAIN. PILOT DECIDED TO TRY TO TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT, BUT DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. ENGINE QUIT AT 50 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND AIRCRAFT STALLED AT 10 FEET OVER AN OPEN SMOOTH FIELD. A HARD TOUCH DOWN CAUSED THE NOSE WHEEL TO DIG AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLAPSE WHICH CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO FLIP OVER.

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 CEN24LA184Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportEnderlin, NDThe pilot’s failure to properly inspect and sump the fuel system before the flight and the maintenance personnel’s inadequate maintenance of the fuel system which resulted in fuel starvation and the subsequent loss of engine power due to the contamination of…May 13, 2024 · Substantial damage