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Aviation safety reports, made easier to study

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NTSB Report

June 16, 2018 · Piper PA 28-140 · N1782J

Hartford, CT

Overview

Report Status
Final with probable cause
Event Type
Accident
Date
June 16, 2018
Injury Outcomes
No injuries (2 uninjured)
Location
Hartford, CT
Aircraft
Piper PA 28-140 (1968)
Tail Number
N1782J
Injuries
None
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
NTSB Number
WPR18LA173

The pilot stated that after takeoff, the engine lost partial power, and the airplane would not maintain altitude. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a runway at a nearby closed airport. During the descent, the pilot verified the mixture was full rich and the carburetor heat was off, and he switched fuel tanks. The pilot said the engine did not respond, so he turned it off and executed a "forward slip" and S-turns to position the airplane onto the runway; however, the airplane landed about 600 ft from the departure end of the runway, overran the end of the runway, and struck a fence which resulted in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The pilot reported he believed that the recently replaced fuel selector valve failed and starved the engine of fuel. Postaccident examination of the airplane and an engine test run did not reveal any anomalies with the engine, fuel system or the fuel selector valve that would have precluded normal operation. Thus, the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

NTSB Probable Cause

A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons because postaccident examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, which led to the pilot’s forced landing and subsequent runway overshoot and collision with a fence.

Full Narrative

On June 16, 2018, about 1315 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, N1782J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near East Hartford, Connecticut. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed Hartford-Brainard Airport (HFD), Hartford, Connecticut. The pilot stated that after takeoff, when the airplane was about 900 ft above ground level, the engine started to sputter and lost partial power, and the airplane would not maintain altitude. He decided to conduct a forced landing on a runway at a nearby closed airport. During the descent, the pilot verified the mixture was full rich and the carburetor heat was off, and he switched fuel tanks. The pilot said the engine did not respond, so he turned it off and executed a "forward slip" and S-turns to position the airplane onto the runway; however, the airplane landed about 600 ft from the departure end of the runway, overran the end of the runway, and struck a fence. The pilot reported he believed that the recently replaced fuel selector valve failed and starved the engine of fuel. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage. An on-site examination revealed that the airplane was not leaking fuel, and fuel was present in each wing tank. The fuel drained from the tanks had no evidence of contamination. An engine test run revealed that the engine ran with no defects noted in the following scenarios: on the right fuel selector position to full power, on the left fuel selector position to full power, in both fuel selector positions to full power with the fuel boost pump turned off, with both magnetos selected, and with left and right magnetos individually selected. No hesitation or loss of power was observed. Fuel that was recovered from the airplane’s wing fuel tanks was used for the engine test run. At 16:53, the recorded weather conditions at HFD were as follows: wind from 010° at 8 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear, temperature 28°C, dew point 9°C, and altimeter 29.97 inches of mercury. Weather conditions about the time of the accident were plotted using the chart in Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 regarding carburetor ice prevention; the weather conditions (ambient temperature of 28°C and dew point of 9°C) were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power.

Flight

Event TypeAccident
Event Time13:15 EDT
Nearest AirportHartford-Brainard (1nm ENE)
Flight Plan FiledNone
Aircraft FireNo
Aircraft ExplosionNo

Aircraft

AircraftPiper PA 28-140
Tail NumberN1782J
Aircraft CategoryAir
DamageSubstantial
Operating RulePart 91
Engines1
Engine TypeReciprocating
Engine DetailsLycoming · O-320-E3D · Reciprocating · 160
Seats4

People & Injuries

Injury SummaryNo injuries (2 uninjured)
Fatal0
Serious0
Minor0
Uninjured2
Total2
Crew 1Age 34 · Third Class · None
Crew 2None

Conditions

ConditionsVMC
LightDaylight
Wind290° @ 4 kt
Visibility10 sm
CeilingNone
Temperature / Dew Point48
Altimeter29.95 inHg
Observation Time17:00
Weather SourceWFAC

Appendix: Source Data