- Date
- June 18, 1989, 08:24 local (12:24 UTC)
- Place
- Albany, OH
- Injuries
- 3 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N40973Piper PA-28
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890618016089A
- Case key
- 14191
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
Seizure of the #4 exhaust valve and bending of its respective push rod, which resulted in a significant loss of engine power. Contributing factors were: lack of a suitable emergency landing area, trees, and the fence.
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
Drg the initial climb after takeoff, a partial power loss of the eng occurred & the plt was forced to land. Unable to return to the arpt, he selected the only available landing site, which was about 300 ft long & 200 wide. This area was bordered by trees & 30 ft power lines. Just before touchdown, the right wing severed leaves from a tree. Subsequently, the acft slid into another tree & a fence. An exam of the eng revealed the #4 exhaust valve was stuck in the open position & its respective push rod was bent.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40973
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7425197
- Airframe hours
- 3,929
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Larry K. Mcgrath
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 19, 1988 · 55 hours before
- Departed
- UNI
- Destination
- I77 · Cincinnati, OH
- Airport
- UNI · Ohio University, runway 25, 4,200 × 100 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
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 147 total · 143 in this make and model · 93 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Observed at
- LCK, 49 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.