# NTSB ATL95LA135: Piper PA-28-140, N9908W, Statesville, NC, July 15, 1995 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 15, 1995, 10:40 local (14:40 UTC) - Place: Statesville, NC - Coordinates: 35.77946, -80.879814 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.7795&lon=-80.8798&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 13, 1995 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 3595 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ATL95LA135 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/3595/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL95LA135 ## Probable cause A CRACKED CYLINDER THAT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, takeoff - initial climb - engine assembly,cylinder - cracked (cause) - Forced landing, emergency landing after takeoff - In flight collision with object, landing - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) ## Analysis DURING INITIAL CLIMB AFTER TAKEOFF, AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, THE AIRCRAFT CLIMB PERFORMANCE WAS LESS THAN NORMAL. THE PILOT ADDED 10 DEGREES OF FLAPS, BUT THE ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. THE PILOT ADDED A SECOND 'NOTCH' OF FLAPS, 25 DEGREES, BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE RPMS DROPPED TO ZERO, AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED INTO A WOODED AREA, AND COLLIDED WITH TREES. THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT RUN UP AND TAKEOFF ROLL WERE NORMAL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A CRACK IN CYLINDER NUMBER FOUR, BETWEEN THE INTAKE AND EXHAUST VALVES. ## Factual narrative On July 15, 1995, at 1040 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28- 140, N9908W, collided with trees during a forced landing into a wooded area adjacent to Statesville Municipal Airport, in Statesville, North Carolina. The personal flight operated under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; the pilot and the front seat passenger were seriously injured. The two rear seated passengers were not injured. According to the pilot, he stopped in Statesville to refuel while enroute to Parkersburg, West Virginia. After having both tanks topped off, the aircraft taxied to runway 28, and a run up was performed. There was no indication of an engine problem. The pilot stated that they departed runway 28, and that everything seemed normal during the takeoff roll and rotation. At approximately 300 feet above ground level, the pilot realized that the airplane's climbing performance was not what it should have been. The pilot put in 10 degrees of flaps, but the engine RPMs were dropping. The pilot added another "notch" of flaps, 25 degrees, before the engine RPMs fell to zero, and the engine quit. The aircraft began descending into a wooded area, and collided with trees. Upon impact, the pilot immediately turned off the master switch and helped the passengers out of the aircraft. A post crash examination of the engine, performed by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed that the number four cylinder was cracked between the intake and exhaust valve. The maintenance records indicated that the last maintenance performed on the aircraft was an annual inspection done six months prior to the accident. The engine had a total of 203 hours since the annual inspection. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9908W](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9908W-2013-10-28), registration cancelled 2013-10-28, S/N 28-23428, built 1967 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-140 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2823428 - Airframe hours: 3181 - Engines: LYCOMING O-320-E2A 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Stephen R. Burwell - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility - Last inspection: Annual, January 13, 1995, 203 hours before - Departed: SVH - Destination: PKB, PARKERSBURG, WV - Airport: SVH, Statesville Municipal, runway 28, 5,000 × 100 ft, concrete ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 39; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 361 total, 354 in this make and model, 262 as pilot in command, 116 in the last 90 days, 35 in the last 30 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 340° at 4 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 84 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: HKY, 20 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 19950715022799A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19950715022799A), Jul 15, 1995: Piper PA28140, Statesville, NC, Substantial damage. Lost power on climbout. Descended into trees. NR4 cylinder cracked between valves. 203 hrs since last annual. From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.