- Date
- June 18, 1994, 09:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- Forest Hill, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7825PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 13, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940618015609A
- Case key
- 8938
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 loss of engine power during for undetermined reasons.
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
According to the pilot, during climb out at 1200 feet MSL the engine began to sputter. The pilot stated that he tried switching fuel tanks, checking the magnetos, and turning on the electric fuel pump, but all were unsuccessful. The pilot tried to return to the airport, but due to insufficient altitude a forced landing was made in a field. During the landing the airplane struck a fence. The airplane was examined after the accident by the FAA and no evidence of mechanical malfunction was disclosed.
Factual narrative
On June 18, 1994, at 0940 eastern daylight time, N7825P, a Piper PA-24-250 collided with a fence on landing following a power-off forced landing at Forest Hill, Maryland. The forced landing was precipitated by a loss of engine power during climb out. The certificated private pilot was not injured and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was being operated under 14 CFR 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated that during climb out at 1200 feet MSL, the engine, "began to sputter." He stated that he tried switching fuel tanks, checking the magnetos and the electric fuel pump, but all were unsuccessful. He stated that he tried to return to the airport, but due to insufficient altitude he made a forced landing in a field. During the landing the aircraft struck a fence.
The airplane was examined after the accident by the FAA. The examination included checking the compression of the cylinders, taking fuel samples and obtaining ignition from the magnetos. There was no evidence of mechanical malfunction noted that would have precluded operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7825P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-3044
- Airframe hours
- 2,406
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Douglas Jones
- Registered owner
- Douglas Jones
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 25, 1994 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- SBY · Salisbury, MD
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
- 42
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 422 total · 172 in this make and model · 257 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 30 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 N7825P · 3
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.