- Date
- December 11, 1993, 17:57 local (23:57 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Worth, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N8835JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931211046799A
- Case key
- 18975
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 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
During the initial climb after take off, the aircraft lost engine power. Witnesses on the ground reported the engine quit at an altitude of approximately 100 feet. They also reported seeing black smoke being emitted from the engine. The pilot landed straight ahead on the departure runway. Due to the lack of remaining runway, the airplane ran through a fence line. An examination of the engine and an engine test run failed to reveal any anomalies.
Factual narrative
On December 11, 1993, at 1757 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N8835J, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Fort Worth, Texas. The commercial pilot and his three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. No flight plan was filed.
The pilot stated in the Pilot/Operator Report form that he experienced a loss of engine power during the initial takeoff climb, approximately 50 to 75 feet above the ground. He landed straight ahead on the runway and applied full brakes. However, the aircraft overran the departure end of the runway, proceeded through a fence, and struck a fence post prior to coming to rest.
A witness on the ground stated that when the aircraft was "at an approximate altitude of 75 to 100 feet, the engine quit abruptly." He further stated that "there was a slight backfire" at the same moment. "The only other sound from the engine was a little burst of power when the pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft."
Two airframe and powerplant mechanics who performed an engine run stated that "no abnormal signs were detected."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8835J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2791
- Airframe hours
- 2,862
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A3A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bush, David
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 8, 1993 · 3 hours before
- Destination
- 1F1 · Overbrook, OK
- Airport
- T67 · Hicks Airfield, runway 14, 3,740 × 60 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
- 38
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,130 total · 5 in this make and model · 2,580 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AFW, 4 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.