- Date
- August 25, 1995, 17:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- South Boston, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N3965PPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950825033089A
- Case key
- 9075
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
Loss of engine power for an undetermined reason. A factor relating to the accident was: the lack of suitable terrain for an emergency landing.
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 stated that he took off from runway 36, then made a left turn. During the climbing turn, the engine lost power. The pilot stated that because there were no clearings ahead, he tried to return to runway 5. However, as he attempted to land from over trees, the airplane stalled and descended to the runway. Postaccident examination of the aircraft did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Factual narrative
On August 25, 1995, at 1700 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA 22- 150, N3965P, lost engine power shortly after takeoff and collided with the runway at William M. Tuck airport, in South Boston, Virginia. The certificated private pilot, the sole occupant, received serious injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR 91, and the intended destination was Blanch, North Carolina.
The pilot reported that he "...Departed runway 36, made [a left] turn, engine lost power, no clearings ahead. Returned to runway 5 from over trees -- stalled and fell to [the] runway." The pilot reported that he had eight gallons of fuel on board and that there was no preimpact mechanical malfunction.
The airplane was examined after the accident at the accident site by an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector. The examination did not disclose evidence of mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3965P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3645
- Airframe hours
- 3,667
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A1A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Charles S. Walters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1995 · 27 hours before
- Departed
- W78
- Destination
- Blanch, NC
- Airport
- W78 · William Tuck, runway 5, 2,700 × 300 ft, grass/turf
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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 836 total · 422 in this make and model · 760 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAN, 25 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.