# NTSB ERA20LA302: Piper PA28R, N9341N, Fletcher, NC, August 27, 2020 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: August 27, 2020, 11:54 local (15:54 UTC) - Place: Fletcher, NC - Coordinates: 35.470001, -82.447776 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4700&lon=-82.4478&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs) - NTSB case key (mKey): 101892 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA20LA302 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/101892/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101892 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA302 ## Probable cause A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-200, 16 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=7102811), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-200, 9 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7102811), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-200, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7102811), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md) - [Takeoff: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-200, 45 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7102811), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that prior to the second flight of the day, there were no anomalies with the engine run up and proceeded to perform a soft field takeoff on the wet turf runway. He applied full throttle for takeoff and noted that the airplane was "slow" to accelerate, which he thought was because of the soft turf. As the airplane was in ground effect, it was not accelerating. He raised the landing gear in an attempt to increase performance, but the airplane began to settle since the engine was not making power. The airplane descended into a corn field off the departure end of the runway and impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Prior to exiting the airplane, the pilot turned the fuel selector off and all the switches off. A witness reported to the pilot that the engine was sputtering An examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions of the engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident. However, there was no fuel noted in the fuel lines to the engine driven fuel pump, the gascolator, fuel flow divider, or fuel servo. Fuel was plumbed into the engine, it started immediately, and ran continuously without anomaly until the fuel selector was moved to the OFF position. The engine ran for 32 seconds prior to shutting down after the fuel selector was turned OFF. The pilot reported that he turned the fuel selector OFF after the airplane came to rest in the corn. According to the icing probability chart in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. It is possible carburetor ice developed during the time the airplane spent with the engine running on the ground prior to takeoff. However, the evidence was inconclusive as to whether the engine lost power due to carburetor icing or due to the pilot incorrectly positioning the fuel selector switch prior to takeoff. ## Factual narrative On August 27, 2020, about 1154 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA28R-200, N9341N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Fletcher, North Carolina. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, they departed from Air Harbor Airport (W88), Greensboro, North Carolina about 0930. He reported that the flight to Six Oaks Airport (NC67), Fletcher, North Carolina, which was about an hour and a half, was uneventful and that everything was "normal." After dropping off items at NC67, the pilot and passenger boarded the airplane and decided to depart from runway 06, a 2,600 ft-long turf runway, since the winds were light and variable. Furthermore, the owner of the property advised that they should depart from that runway because several obstacles were located off the departure end of the reciprocal runway. The pilot noted that the turf was "a little bit soft," because of recent rainfall, but it seemed solid. Before takeoff, the pilot performed an engine run-up with no anomalies noted and set the flaps at 25° for a soft field takeoff. The pilot applied full throttle for takeoff and noted that the airplane was "slow" to accelerate, which he thought was because of the soft turf. As the airspeed increased to 55-60 knots the pilot performed a soft field takeoff. He noted that, as the airplane was in ground effect, it was not accelerating. He raised the landing gear to increase performance, but the airplane began to settle. He stated that the engine "was not making power." The airplane descended into a corn field and impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The airplane came to rest about 500 ft from the departure end of the runway in the corn field. Prior to egressing the airplane, the pilot turned the fuel selector to the OFF position and all the switches off. Crankshaft and valvetrain continuity were confirmed during examination of the engine when the propeller was rotated through 360° of motion. The magnetos produced spark at all leads, and thumb compression was confirmed on all cylinders. The magneto timing was checked, and no anomalies were noted. The fuel lines to the engine driven fuel pump were removed and no fuel was noted in the lines. The fuel flow divider was examined, and no fuel was noted. The fuel servo was examined, and no fuel was noted. The gascolator was examined and no fuel was noted. The electric and engine-driven fuel pumps were removed, tested, and operated without anomaly. The fuel was plumbed to the engine, it started immediately, accelerated smoothly, and ran continuously without interruption. It ran for 8 minutes at 2,500 rpm prior to the fuel selector being moved to the OFF position. Recovery personnel reported that they drained fuel from the fuel tanks during recovery but did not turn off the fuel selector during the recovery. There was no debrisnoted in the fuel drained from the wings. According to the icing probability chart in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N9341N](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N9341N-2022-07-30), registration cancelled 2022-07-30, S/N 28R-35042, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA28R (200) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28R-200](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (registry code 7102811) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental IO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-io-360-series) (registry code 17025, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28R-35042 - Year built: 1969 - Airframe hours: 5606 - Engines: Lycoming IO-360-C1C 200 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, August 29, 2019 - Departed: NC67, Fletcher, NC - Destination: W88, Greensboro, NC - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: NC67, Six Oaks, runway 06, 2,600 × 100 ft, grass/turf - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 77; injuries: none; commercial, airline transport, flight instructor; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 29, 2019; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 16,000 total, 250 in this make and model, 13,300 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 70 °F - Altimeter: 30.18 inHg - Observed at: AVL, 5 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20200827020809A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200827020809A), Aug 27, 2020: Piper PA-28R-200, Fletcher, NC, Substantial damage. On 8/27/20, aircraft N9341N, a Piper PA-28R-200 took off from grass strip NC67 (6 Oaks airport) located in Fletcher, NC with 2 people onboard. The aircraft… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 16, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=101892. 127 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 5.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11721751&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N9341NNTSBreport_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance records excerpts (item 2, PDF, 8 pages, 26.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11646762&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N9341N%20Logbooks%20Requested_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot interview summary (item 3, PDF, 2 pages, 230 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11714906&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20Of%20Record%20Color%20Pilot-Rel.pdf - Engine examination summary (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 224 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11715862&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20Of%20Record%20Color%20Engine%20Examination-Rel.pdf - Engine run video (item 5, MP4, 94.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11715173&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=55254ece4efe828ab6c38a94265d6ce846c2d604-Rel.mp4 - Investigative photographs (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 2 photos, 161 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11714712&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20LA302-Rel.pdf - Accident location diagram (item 7, PDF, 1 page, 142 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11722227&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Capture-Rel.pdf From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.