- Date
- February 23, 1988, 10:45 local (17:45 UTC)
- Place
- Fabens, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5542ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880223003349A
- Case key
- 22618
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 plt reported that the eng ran rough on a previous flt and he removed, cleaned, and replaced the spark plugs. He then took off and at a point seven miles from the departure arpt, the eng again began to run rough and intermittently. An emergency landing became necessary and during the landing in rough terrain, the nose gear broke, resulting in damage to the fuselage. An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and did not find any evidence to explain the reported power loss. In his report of the accident, the plt states that rubber particles, possibly from fuel lines, were found in the fuel. The acft was being operated on auto fuel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5542Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-9333
- Airframe hours
- 2,901
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1B, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Rockford Hall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1987 · 146 hours before
- Departed
- E35
- Destination
- TX04 · El Paso, TX
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 387 total · 223 in this make and model · 324 as pilot in command · 109 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ELP, 13 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 N5542Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.