- Date
- April 8, 1993, 16:10 local (21:10 UTC)
- Place
- Midlothian, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4439TPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930408008169A
- Case key
- 18722
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
Failure of the engine cowling latch resulting in deteriorating airplane performance and a 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
During climbout the engine cowling latch failed, and the cowling opened coming to rest against the windshield. The cowling blocked the pilot's forward view, and acted as a flat plate causing drag that could not be overcome with full power. The max airspeed that could be gained with a full power was no more than 70 KTS, and the sink rate developed to aprx 1,000 fpm. The pilot could not make the desired runway and landed in an adjacent field collapsing the landing gear. The left front latch had failed; the right front latch subsequently came open.
Factual narrative
On April 8, 1993, at 1610 central daylight time (CDT) a Piper PA-28R-200, N4439T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing at the Midlothian Airport, Midlothian, Texas. The private pilot, also the owner, was not injured during the visual flight rules flight. The flight originated at Midlothian and its destination was Alexandria, Louisiana.
During an interview conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the pilot stated that during his initial climb after takeoff the nose cowling came loose and rotated upwards. After it came loose, the cowling lodged against the windshield, blocking the pilot's visibility and creating a high drag load. He added that the increased drag prevented the pilot from reaching his intended landing site, the departure airport. The pilot reported that he landed hard.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4439T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7235051
- Airframe hours
- 3,573
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-366-CIC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Williams, Kenneth W.
- Registered owner
- Williams, Kenneth W.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 22, 1992 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- 4T6
- Destination
- ESF · Alexandria, LA
- Airport
- 4T6 · Midlothian, runway 18, 5,000 × 75 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
- 41
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 100 in this make and model · 2,000 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 17 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FTW
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 N4439T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.