- Date
- November 6, 2005, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Decatur, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2593PPiper PA38
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20051106027029A
- Case key
- 62781
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 for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced 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 engine started to run rough about a minute after takeoff. The 475-hour student pilot reported a 500 RPM drop. The pilot applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but neither resulted in an increase in engine power. The pilot leveled-off at approximately 600 feet above the ground. About 3 or 4 minutes into the flight, a severe engine vibration developed and the pilot elected to shut-down the engine and attempted to land in a pasture approximately two miles from the airport. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a fence resulting in structural damage to the wings and additional damage to the propeller. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector that traveled to the accident site noted the airplane's engine chip detector light was illuminated and that the propeller was hard to pull through. The reason for the loss or engine power could not be determined.
Factual narrative
The engine started to run rough about a minute after takeoff. The 475-hour unrated pilot reported a 500 RPM drop. The pilot applied carburetor heat and switched fuel tanks, but neither resulted in an increase in engine power. The pilot leveled-off at approximately 600 feet above the ground. About 3 or 4 minutes into the flight, a severe engine vibration developed and the pilot elected to shut-down the engine down and attempt to land in a pasture approximately two miles from the airport. During the landing roll the airplane impacted a fence resulting in structural damage to the wings and additional damage to the propeller. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector that traveled to the accident site noted the airplane's engine chip detector light was illuminated and that the propeller was hard to pull through. The reason for the loss or engine power could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2593P
- Reported as
- Piper PA38
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38-79A0866
- Airframe hours
- 8,222
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235, 125 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Andy Stapp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 2005 · 110 hours before
- Departed
- LUD · Decatur, TX
- Destination
- PVW · Plainview, TX
- Airport
- LUD · Decatur Municipal Airport
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 475 total · 225 in this make and model · 23 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LUD, 2 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.