- Date
- August 14, 1987, 15:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Knoxville, TN
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8661WPiper PA-28-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 11, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870814045649A
- Case key
- 7499
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 plt rprtd that drg takeoff, the acft clbd normally for about 100 to 150 ft, then the eng lost pwr w/o warning. He switched fuel tanks & tried to restart the eng, but was unable. The acft was lndd & sank in a river, short of an open fld. When the acft was recovered from the water, the mixture control was found about 1-1/8 inch from the full rich position. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was found. The eng was dried out & serviced with new oil. An eng run was made, but the power was limited to about 1500 RPM to avoid vibration due to a bent prop. The plt said that at the time of takeoff, he had leaned the mixture due to the ambient temp. The 1452 temp at Knoxville was 88 deg.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8661W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-10794
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B4B5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard K. Hasten
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 10, 1987
- Destination
- BMI · Bloomington, IL
- Airport
- DKX · Knoxville Downtown Island, runway 8, 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 431 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TYS, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.