- Date
- August 5, 1987, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ardmore, AL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N9867PPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 7, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870805043529A
- Case key
- 7495
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The engine lost pwr during initial climb at about 150 ft AGL shortly after the plt turned the fuel boost pump off. A forced ldg was subsequently made on a nearby interstate hwy. the plt delayed the ldg to avoid hitting autos on the hwy and a hard ldg resulted. The suspected cause of the pwr loss was fuel vapor lock. The engine was test-run after the accident and that no problems were found. The airplane was fueled with 87 octane auto gas. The ambient temperature was about 90 deg f. the arpt elevation is 920 ft MSL. The density altitude at the arpt was calculated to be approx 3,200 ft. according to FAA records, the airplane was not stc'd to operate on auto gas. Piper mandatory service bulletin #855 dated 1-14-87 prohibits the use of auto fuel in Piper airplanes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9867P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 257556191
- Airframe hours
- 2,969
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2C5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Towe Brothers
- Registered owner
- Towe Brothers
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 20, 1987 · 13 hours before
- Airport
- 1M3 · Ardmore
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 352 total · 5 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 135° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.