ATL01LA012

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-32-260 · Florence, SC · November 29, 2000

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
November 29, 2000, 09:11 local (14:11 UTC)
Place
Florence, SC
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Initial climb
Aircraft
N6YBPiper PA-32-260
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report April 19, 2001
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
20001129024739A
Case key
50694

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

Loss of engine power due to carburetor icing, which resulted in a emergency landing into rough uneven terrain.

Sequence of events

NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.

Loss of engine power(partial) - nonmechanicalTakeoff - initial climb
Weather condition - carburetor icing conditionsCause
Emergency procedure - attemptedPilot in commandFactor
Forced landingDescent - emergency
Terrain condition - rough/unevenFactor

Analysis

According to the pilot, shortly after departure from runway 19 with a load of cargo on board, the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing, impacting into a grassy area adjacent to the departure end of runway 19. During the impact sequence, the landing gear was separated and the propeller was bent. Examination of the engine showed no defects that would have prevented it from producing power. Conditions conducive to carburetor icing existed at the time of the accident.

Factual narrative

On November 29, 2000, at 0911 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-260, N6YB, registered to and operated by Corporate Air Fleet Inc., was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground following a loss of engine power during initial climb after takeoff from Florence Regional Airport in Florence, South Carolina. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant aboard, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the business flight being conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135. The intended destination was Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field Airport in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.

According to the pilot, shortly after departure from runway 19, with a load of cargo on board, the engine lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing, impacting hard into a grassy area adjacent to the departure end of runway 19. During the impact sequence, the landing gear was separated and the propeller was bent.

Examination of the engine showed no defects that would have prevented it from producing power. Conditions conducive to carburetor icing existed at the time of the accident. Temperature was 48 degrees and the dewpoint was 39 degrees.

Aircraft

Registration
N6YB
Reported as
Piper PA-32-260
Category
Airplane
Serial number
32-1179
Airframe hours
6,097
Engine
Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Part 135
Registered owner
Corporate Air Fleet Inc.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Departed
FLO
Destination
FAY · Fayetteville, NC
Flight plan
IFR
Airport
FLO · Florence Regional Airport, runway 19, 6,001 × 150 ft, asphalt

Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

Role
Pilot
Age
38
Certificate
Commercial
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
3,400 total · 400 in this make and model · 3,000 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
240° at 4 knots
Visibility
10 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
None
Temperature
48 °F, dew point 39 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
FLO

FAA reports on this event · 1

The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.