- Date
- November 18, 1992, 10:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Willimantic, CT
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8431FPiper PA-28-151
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 29, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19921118049449A
- Case key
- 11886
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
A cracked no. 2 engine cylinder, and the pilot's failure to attain the proper touchdown point during the forced landing, due to excessive airspeed, which resulted in an overrun of the runway. A factor related to the accident was an improper weld repair on the no. 2 cylinder.
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 student pilot reported that the engine lost power during takeoff. Partial power was available, so he elected to turn 180 degrees and perform a downwind landing on the runway. The airplane touched down on the FAR end of the runway at '70 knots' with a '10 mph tail wind' and ran off the end. It then rolled onto wet grass and slid into a fence. Examination of the airplane revealed a crack in the no.2 cylinder head near a weld repair. Source of the weld repair was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8431F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-151
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 287715261
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Windham Aviation, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Windham Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- IJD
- Destination
- IJD
- Airport
- IJD · Windham Airport, runway 18, 2,797 × 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
- 47
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 90 total · 90 in this make and model · 34 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 32 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.