- Date
- March 20, 2008, 07:50 local (12:50 UTC)
- Place
- New Albany, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N3304WPiper PA32
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080320012119A
- Case key
- 67695
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
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After a normal preflight inspection and engine run-up, the pilot departed from a 3,900-foot-long, asphalt runway. The airplane lifted off normally and had climbed to an altitude of about 75 feet above the runway, when it began to sputter and then lost power. The airplane touched down hard on the remaining runway, before going off the end, and coming to a stop about 50 feet beyond the runway. A post crash fire consumed a majority of the fuselage, and the right wing. Examination of the engine did not identify evidence of any mechanical malfunctions. The airplane had been flown for 1.3 hours since it was refueled to its maximum capacity of 84 gallons, 9 days prior to the accident. Fuel recovered from the airplane’s left wing was absent of contamination.
Factual narrative
On March 20, 2008, about 0750 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-260, N3304W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, after it experienced a loss of engine power during the initial climb after takeoff from the Union County Airport (M72), New Albany, Mississippi. The certificated private pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight destined for the Roscoe Turner Airport (CRX), Corinth, Mississippi. The business flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The airplane was owned by the pilot and based at M72.
According to the pilot, after performing a preflight inspection and a normal engine run-up, he departed from Runway 36, a 3,900-foot-long, asphalt runway.
The airplane lifted off normally and had climbed to an altitude of about 75 feet above the runway, when it began to "sputter" and then experienced a total loss of engine power. The airplane touched down hard on the remaining runway, before going off the end. The airplane came to a stop about 50 feet beyond the runway. Both occupants exited the airplane before a post crash fire consumed a majority of the fuselage, and the right wing.
Examination of the engine by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not identify evidence of any mechanical malfunctions.
The pilot reported that the airplane was flown for 1.3 hours since it was refueled to its maximum capacity of 84 gallons, 9 days prior to the accident. Fuel recovered from the airplane’s left wing was absent of contamination.
The airplane had been operated for about 40 hours since its most recent annual inspection, which was performed on August 9, 2007.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3304W
- Reported as
- Piper PA32 (260)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-140
- Airframe hours
- 3,490
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Cooper Electrical Controls Inc
- Registered owner
- Cooper Electrical Controls Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 9, 2007 · 38 hours before
- Departed
- M72 · New Albany, MS
- Destination
- CRX · Corinth, MS
- Airport
- M72 · New Albany, runway 36, 3,900 × 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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 17, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 530 total · 90 in this make and model · 460 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- TUP, 21 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.