- Date
- July 24, 1988, 21:08 local (Jul 25, 1988, 01:08 UTC)
- Place
- La Grange, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4506FPiper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report September 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880724030789A
- Case key
- 7618
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 PIC stated he had a hardover in the single axis autopilot which resulted in the acft constantly turning right. Therefore due to the continous bank he elected to make a precautionary landing in a lake versus on land. The acft impacted in a lake left of the planned course. The roll servo was designed so that when power was removed from the servo a spring disengaged the servo from the aileron bridle cable. The spring was found functional after recovery of the acft from the lake. Witnesses rpted seeing the acft flying about 10-15 feet above the lake surface for about one quarter mile. As the acft approached a bridge it pulled up abruptly, stalled, and impacted the water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4506F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7715043
- Airframe hours
- 1,038
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Robert M. Thompson
- Registered owner
- R. M. Thompson & D. Laguardia
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 1988 · 36 hours before
- Departed
- 06A · Tuskegee, AL
- Destination
- CCO · Newnan, GA
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
- 23
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 280 total · 245 in this make and model · 254 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSG, 30 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.
Other investigations on N4506F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.