- Date
- July 9, 1992, 10:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Woods Cross, UT
- Injuries
- 4 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N9323PPiper PA-24-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920709024629A
- Case key
- 41585
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
Pilot factor in that he failed to attain and maintain sufficient flying speed. Factors to the accident were: cylinder over temperature, improper use of the mixture and procedures/directives were not followed.
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
During the take off ground run, witnesses reported that the eng sounded normal, however, the airplane remained on the rwy for an unusual length of time. When the airplane finally lifted off near the end of the rwy, the angle of attack increased above normal. The airplane continued to climb in this attitude, with the wings wagging up and down. The airplane attained an alt of approx 100 200 ft when the rt wing and nose dropped toward the ground. The airplane collided with the ground approx one half mile north of the arpt in a nose down, rt wing low attitude. A post crash fire ignited and consumed the airplane. During a post crash eng teardown, it was found that the number six cylinder could not hold compression. Further teardown revealed a section of the cylinder around the exhaust seal was missing. Metallurgical examination revealed that the damage most likely occurred as a result of extremely lean operations which lead to detonation. The plt had recently purchased the airplane, which was equipped with a turbo charger, and was taught to lean the mixture for take off. The operators manual states for take off to have the mixture full rich.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9323P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-4820
- Airframe hours
- 2,128
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-R1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Helmut Fischer
- Registered owner
- Fessele, Elsa
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1992 · 17 hours before
- Destination
- GCN · Grand Canyon, AZ
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- BTF · Skypark, runway 34, 4,700 × 70 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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 15 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SLC, 4 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.