- Date
- April 23, 1989, 17:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wellsville, KS
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N4315JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890423009619A
- Case key
- 34678
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 failure of the pilot to use carburetor heat during the descent for landing which resulted in a loss of engine power at a critical time in flight, a go-around.
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 pilot attempted a go-around after initiating a downwind approach to land. The aircraft engine lost power during the initial climb of the go-around. The pilot attempted to turn back toward the runway to execute a forced landing. The aircraft impacted in a field approximately 1,056 feet short of the runway. Existing meteorological conditions were conducive to carburetor icing. The pilot stated that the engine had quit two times after entering the landing pattern. On both occasions the pilot was able to restart the engine. An eyewitness stated that he observed the aircraft within thirty feet of his position at an altitude of approximately 2 to 3 feet off the grass runway in a landing attitude. The engine was successfully run after replacing the carburetor and fuel strainer.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4315J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-22689
- Airframe hours
- 2,307
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wilson, Charles G.
- Registered owner
- Charles E Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 17, 1988 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- TOP · Topeka, KS
- Destination
- K81 · Osawatomie, KS
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
- 48
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 143 total · 143 in this make and model · 19 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IXD, 31 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.