- Date
- August 31, 1991, 19:45 local (Sep 1, 1991, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Tullahoma, TN
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5568UPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 8463
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
An engine power loss 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
The pilot had purchased the airplane that day and was preparing for a local flight with his son. All ground checks were normal. Shortly after takeoff, he observed a decrease in engine RPM. He switched fuel tanks, and checked the mags, carb heat, and mixture. With trees ahead, he turned the airplane and forced landed in an adjacent field. The airplane came to a stop, and was consumed by fire. Teardown inspection of the engine did not reveal any evidence of malfunction or failure. The pilot reported that he had sufficient fuel for the flight. The mags, carburetor, and engine driven fuel pump were destroyed by fire. Fire damage prevented any testing of the aircraft fuel. The reason for the engine power loss could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5568U
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-26465
- Airframe hours
- 3,274
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hill, Roger W.
- Registered owner
- Hill, Roger W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 21, 1991 · 3 hours before
- Airport
- THA · Tullahoma Regional, runway 32, 5,000 × 100 ft, concrete
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
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,250 total · 600 in this make and model · 1,175 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- THA, 1 nm away