- Date
- May 25, 1991, 18:29 local (22:29 UTC)
- Place
- Danville, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5931DPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910525017489A
- Case key
- 11677
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 inadequate preflight inspection which resulted in water contaminated fuel. Contributing was noncompliance with an airworthiness directive.
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 reported that during takeoff climb at about 200 feet AGL, the engine lost power. She turned back to the airport, but because of insufficient altitude, the airplane struck trees short of the airport. The post accident examination revealed about one half cup of water in the airplane belly sump and in the carburetor. It was also determined that an airworthiness directiveness pertaining to water contaminated fuel caused by improper fuel cap seals was not complied with.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5931D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-4594
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Eoanna K. Casey
- Registered owner
- Eoanna K. Casey
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- DAN
- Airport
- DAN · Danville Municipal, runway 2, 5,000 × 150 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
- 44
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 630 total · 250 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAN, 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 N5931D · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.