BFO88FID03

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-38-112 · Chesapeake, VA · May 12, 1988

Accident · Serious injuriesFinal report

Date: May 12, 1988, 17:30 local (21:30 UTC)
Place: Chesapeake, VA
Injuries: 1 serious
Damage: Destroyed
Phase of flight: Initial climb
Aircraft: N2601CPiper PA-38-112
Weather: Visual (VMC) · Day
Status: Completed · report February 28, 1989
Report: Approved by Office Director
FAA report: 19880512015169A
Case key: 11378

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.

Loss of engine powerTakeoff - initial climb

Powerplant - undeterminedCause

Forced landingDescent - emergency

Loss of control - in flightManeuvering - turn to landing area (emergency)

Airspeed - not maintainedPilot in commandCause

Lack of total experiencePilot in commandFactor

In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - uncontrolled

Analysis

The pilot was doing touch & go landings. During climbout engine power loss occurred at an estimated 300 ft AGL. The pilot radioed mayday and a witness stated he heard the stall horn during the transmission. Afterwards the acft pitched down and spun to the ground. Engine examination did not disclose any pre-existing failure or malfunction.

Aircraft

Registration: N2601C
Reported as: Piper PA-38-112
Category: Airplane
Serial number: 38-79A0252
Airframe hours: 2,620
Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage: Destroyed
Flight: Instructional · Part 91
Registered owner: Curtis Eads
Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
Last inspection: 100 hour · April 23, 1988 · 19 hours before
Airport: PVG · Hampton Roads, runway 10, 4,000 × 70 ft, asphalt

N2601CRegistration cancelled Mar 7, 2000 · Piper PA-38-112S/N 38-79A0252 Airframe modelPiper PA-38-112

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: 26
Certificate: Student
Medical: Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat: Left
Flight hours: 34 total · 34 in this make and model · 8 as pilot in command · 14 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions: Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind: 70° at 9 knots
Visibility: 7 statute miles
Lowest ceiling: None
Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 55 °F
Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Observed at: ORF, 14 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.

Accident 19880512015169APiper PA38112 · Portsmouth, VAStudent pilot crashed on climbout when engine quit. Stalled and crashed in a field. Heat was on and flaps were downMay 12, 1988 · N2601C · Destroyed