- Date
- April 11, 2002, 16:17 local (20:17 UTC)
- Place
- Pahokee, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N30660Piper PA-18
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 2, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Fort Lauderdale FSDO
- FAA report
- 20020411014199A
- Case key
- 54499
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The loss of engine power and the post-landing fire for undetermined reasons.
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.
Analysis
According to the pilot, the fuel tank was filled with 100 low lead fuel before the takeoff. The pilot taxied to runway 10, and initiated a takeoff. During climbout, the pilot started a left climbing turn, and at approximately the same time, the engine lost power. The pilot further reported that engine RPM dropped to Idle. The pilot selected an emergency landing area and established an approach to land. The pilot reported that after the landing, the airplane burst into flames.The subsequent examination of the accident site disclosed that the airframe was badly fire damaged. The engine compartment was also fire damaged, and engine components damaged. According to the pilot, he had not experienced any previous mechanical problems with the airplane.
Factual narrative
On April 11, 2002, at 1617 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-18, N30660, registered to and owned by the pilot, landed in a sugar cane field and burst into flames during a forced landing near Pahokee, Florida. The personal flight was operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane was destroyed and there was a post-impact fire. The private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The flight departed Pahokee, Florida, at 1615, on April 11, 2002.
According to the pilot, the fuel tank was filled with 100 low lead fuel before the takeoff. The pilot taxied to runway 10, and initiated a takeoff. During climbout at about 100 feet, the pilot started a left climbing turn, and at approximately the same time, the engine lost power. The pilot further reported that engine RPM dropped to Idle. The pilot selected an emergency landing area and established an approach to land. The pilot reported that after the landing, the airplane burst into flames.
The subsequent examination of the accident site disclosed that the airframe was badly fire damaged. The engine compartment was also fire damaged, and engine components damaged. According to the pilot, he had not experienced any previous mechanical problems with the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N30660
- Reported as
- Piper PA-18
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 5-230
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming O-320, 115 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sam G. Defazio
- Registered owner
- Glades AG Service INC.,
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 28, 2002
- Departed
- Pahokee, FL
- Airport
- PHK · Plam Beach County Glades, runway 10, 5,000 × 75 ft, grass/turf
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Last flight review
- October 15, 2001
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 3,863 total · 32 in this make and model · 79 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- PNS
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 15, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 40 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.