- Date
- August 19, 1983, 19:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mt. Airy, NC
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N6439JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 6, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830819043249A
- Case key
- 6172
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
A loss of engine power during takeoff for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Analysis
According to the pilot, after takeoff, at about 300 feet AGL he noticed an abnormality but no loss of RPM. After turning to return for landing the engine lost power completely. Prior to reaching a field straight ahead, the aircraft struck a power line causing the pilot to lose control. The aircraft struck the top of a tree, touched down behind a house then slid 100 feet and struck a shed. Post-accident exam of the engine revealed no reason for the power loss.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6439J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Airframe hours
- 6,945
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Virginia Carolina Aviation Co.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 22, 1983
- Airport
- MWK · Surry County, runway 36, 3,500 × 75 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
- 20
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 81 total · 2 in this make and model · 38 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.