MIA94LA066

NTSB accident investigation · Piper PA-32-300 · Tamarac, FL · February 3, 1994

Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal report
Date
February 3, 1994, 15:17 local (20:17 UTC)
Place
Tamarac, FL
Injuries
1 uninjured
Damage
Substantial damage
Phase of flight
Enroute
Aircraft
N15635Piper PA-32-300
Weather
Visual (VMC) · Day
Status
Completed · report November 18, 1994
Report
Approved by Office Director
FAA report
19940203003579A
Case key
37490

From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.

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Probable cause

The loss of engine power for undetermined causes.

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.

Loss of engine powerCruise
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landingDescent - emergency
In flight collision with terrain/waterDescent - emergency

Analysis

The pilot was in cruise flight when the engine began to run rough and lost power. He executed a forced landing and the airplane wing broke off on landing. Examination of the fuel system and engine failed to determine any reason for the loss of power. The airplane was placed on a trailer, the engine was started and ran normally.

Factual narrative

On February 3, 1994, about 1517 eastern standard time, N15635, a Piper PA-32-300, registered to Milton Jacobson, crashed in Tamarac, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the pilot, the sole occupant, reported no injuries. The flight originated at Homestead, Florida, about 40 minutes earlier.

The pilot stated while on approach at 1,500 feet msl the engine began to run rough and failed. The pilot then executed a forced landing to a construction area. Examination of the airplane fuel system and engine was conducted by an FAA inspector and no failures that would cause an engine failure were noted. The airplane was removed from the crash site to a local airport. The airplane was placed on a trailer, the engine was started and ran normally.

Aircraft

Registration
N15635
Reported as
Piper PA-32-300
Category
Airplane
Serial number
7340054
Airframe hours
2,492
Engine
Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
Damage
Substantial damage
Flight
Personal · Part 91
Operator
Jacobson, Milton C.
Registered owner
Jacobson, Milton C.
Airworthiness certificate
Standard, Normal
Last inspection
Annual · January 6, 1994 · 12 hours before
Departed
X51 · Homestead, FL
Destination
FXE · Ft. Lauderdale, FL

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
58
Certificate
Private
Airplane ratings
Single-engine land
Instrument ratings
Airplane
Medical
Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
Seat
Left
Flight hours
798 total · 570 in this make and model · 798 as pilot in command · 8 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours

Weather

Conditions
Visual (VMC) · Day
Wind
50° at 12 knots
Visibility
8 statute miles
Lowest ceiling
3,000 ft broken
Temperature
-0 °F, dew point -0 °F
Altimeter
30.00 inHg
Observed at
FXE, 6 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 N15635 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.