- Date
- November 25, 1998, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Aiken, SC
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3350TPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 16, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19981125033179A
- Case key
- 45428
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 pilot's failure to use carburetor heat properly. Contributing to the accident were the carburetor icing conditions.
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 was enroute to Florida, and planned a refueling stop in South Carolina. During the descent from 8500 feet, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. Attempts by the pilot to restore full engine power failed. So he selected a field for an emergency landing, and while on final approach to land, the engine regained full power. At that point, the pilot elected to go-around. During the climbout phase of the go-around maneuver, the airplane collided with trees on the departure end of the proposed landing site. According to the pilot, the collision with the trees separated the left main landing gear assembly, and the right wing sustained substantial structural damage. The pilot flew the airplane to Aiken, South Carolina and after touchdown on runway 24, the airplane skidded off the left side of the runway. During the engine loss of power, weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
Factual narrative
On November 25, 1998, at 1300 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-140, N3350T, collided with trees during a go-around from an emergency landing near Aiken, South Carolina. The personal cross country flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time the accident, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight departed from Suffolk, Virginia, at 0955.
The pilot reported that he was enroute to Crestview, Florida, and had planned a refueling stop in Saluda, South Carolina. During the descent from 8500 feet, the pilot experienced a loss of engine power. Attempts, by the pilot, to restore full engine power failed. The pilot selected a field for an emergency landing, while on final approach to land, the engine regained full power. At that point, the pilot elected to go-around. During the climbout phase of the go-around maneuver, the airplane collided with trees on the departure end of the proposed landing site.
According to the pilot, the collision with the trees separated the left main landing gear assembly, and the right wing sustained substantial structural damage. The pilot flew the airplane to Aiken, South Carolina, and after touchdown on runway 24, the airplane skidded off the left side of the runway. During the engine loss of power, weather conditions were favorable for the formation of carburetor ice. No mechanical problems with the airplane were reported by the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3350T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7125377
- Airframe hours
- 33,156
- Engine
- Lycoming 0320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James W. Beauchamp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 1998 · 1,151 hours before
- Departed
- SFQ · Suffolk, VA
- Destination
- 6J4 · Crestview, FL
- Airport
- AIK · Aiken, runway 24, 5,000 × 100 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
- 55
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 11,269 total · 1,914 in this make and model · 11,269 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 25° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGS, 22 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 N3350T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.