- Date
- October 4, 1991, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, NC
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8839PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911004045139A
- Case key
- 8530
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 loss of engine power due to unknown 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 stated that after takeoff the engine began to run roughly. He had no suitable landing area in front of him, and he elected to attempt to return to the airport. After completion of the turn, the engine stopped, and he was forced to execute an emergency landing into a wooded area. He had attempted the flight earlier in the day, and had to return due to a rough running engine. Maintenance personnel performed maintenance on the engine fuel system and the problem was thought to have been corrected. Examination and test run of the engine and examination of the aircraft by FAA personnel did not reveal any malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8839P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4294
- Airframe hours
- 3,936
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-54D-D4AS, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Whitehead, Jefferson D
- Registered owner
- Whitehead, Jefferson D
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 3, 1991 · 19 hours before
- Destination
- 55J · Fernandina, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 610 in this make and model · 1,500 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FAY, 1 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 N8839P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.