- Date
- December 18, 1982, 15:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Plains, MO
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N56689Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 18, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821218064619A
- Case key
- 73011
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
Earlier in the day, the pilot had landed on a highway after the aircraft ran low on fuel. He purchased 15 gal of automobile fuel and put it in the aircraft fuel tanks. He then took off from the highway, flew to an airport and added an additional 20 gal of 100LL, aviation fuel. During takeoff, the engine lost power at about 150 to 200 ft AGL. Subsequently, one wing was torn off during a forced landing and the plane burned. A witness stated that the aircraft used all of the 3100 ft runway during the takeoff. Water was found in the carburetor bowl; however, the fuel lines were damaged and water could have entered during the fire fighting operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N56689
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7425018
- Airframe hours
- 6,990
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter H. Nitz, Jr.
- Registered owner
- Walter H. Nitz, Jr.
- Departed
- H63 · West Plains, MO
- Destination
- SGF · Springfield, MO
- Airport
- H63 · West Plains Muni, runway 32, 3,200 × 75 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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 1,067 total · 58 in this make and model · 1,049 as pilot in command · 21 in the last 90 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Temperature
- 113 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.