- Date
- June 10, 1989, 10:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- St. Augustine, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9834DPiper PA-22-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 11, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890610015079A
- Case key
- 32296
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 pilot failed to maintain airspeed during the turn to return to the airport, resulting in the loss of control. Contributing to the accident was his continued takeoff with intermittent 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
During ground roll, witnesses reported eng developing intermittent power. Takeoff continued & at about 150 feet AGL. Plt initiated a turn to the left to return to the arpt. During the turn acft stalled & crashed on arpt property. Plt was removed from burning acft & transported to the hospital where he died of his injuries. Fire extinguished by local fire dept. Exam of acft revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of the flt controls. Exam of eng revealed no determination could be made for the reported intermittent power. The ignition harness & lt magneto were damaged by fire. Rt magneto operated normally, as did the spark plugs. Magneto switch at accident site positioned to the rt mag. It tested normally. Fuel continuity from each fuel tank to gascolator was verified. Fuel line from gascolator to carburetor was damaged by fire. Exam of carburetor revealed float destroyed & primary venturi not installed. Identical eng at manufacturers facility with venturi removed from carb revealed no degradation of eng performance.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9834D
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-6725
- Airframe hours
- 1,810
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2B, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Carney J. Bryan
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 5, 1988 · 17 hours before
- Airport
- SGJ · St. Agustuine
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
- 64
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 72,906 total · 72,650 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CRG, 25 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.