- Date
- June 27, 1991, 13:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Flagstaff, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1898JPiper PA 28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910627024359A
- Case key
- 27265
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 pilot-in-command to properly lock the engine primer control which resulted in an over rich fuel to air mixture and subsequent loss of engine power.
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
A Piper pa 28-140 collided with trees after a loss of engine power. The airplane wreckage was examined by the FAA. Six of the eight spark plugs exhibited sooty dark electrodes. According to the engine manufacturer, the electrode appearance was indicative of a rich mixture. Examination of the airplane's fuel primer revealed it was unlocked. According to the engine manufacturer this could result in an over primed or rich mixture. The rich mixture and high altitude could result in a loss of engine power.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1898J
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28 24344
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Henry N. Halle
- Registered owner
- Henry N. Halle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 2, 2000
- Departed
- FLG · Flagstaff, AZ
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 300 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FLG, 15 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.