- Date
- April 10, 1994, 10:35 local (14:35 UTC)
- Place
- River Ranch, FL
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N1395TPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940410010609A
- Case key
- 37525
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 improper inspection of the worn throttle linkage connection at the fuel control, which resulted in the linkage becoming disconnected from the fuel control in flight and the engine losing power. This resulted in the aircraft colliding with a ditch during a forced landing in a field.
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
The airplane lost engine power while in cruise flight. While making a forced landing in a field the aircraft collided with a ditch. Postaccident examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors indicated the throttle linkage had become disconnected from the fuel control due to excessive wear of the linkage connection. The aircraft had recieved a 100-hour inspection 11 days, 8 flight hours before the accident.
Factual narrative
On April 10, 1994, about 1035 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N1395T, registered to Petersons Air Rental, Inc., collided with terrain while making a forced landing following loss of engine power at River Ranch, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated at Miami, Florida, on April 10, 1994, about 0920.
The pilot stated that while at 5,000 feet en route the engine lost power. He received radar vectors from air traffic control towards the River Ranch Airport. He was unable to reach the airport and landed in a field. During landing rollout the aircraft collided with a ditch.
Postcrash examination of the aircraft by FAA inspectors indicated the throttle linkage had become disconnected from the engine fuel control due to wear of the linkage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1395T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R7235277
- Airframe hours
- 5,438
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Petersons Air Rental, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 30, 1994 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- TMB · Miami, FL
- Destination
- ISM · Kissimmee, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 453 total · 130 in this make and model · 259 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 19 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,800 ft broken
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 40 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.