ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 179859
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| Date: | Wednesday 23 September 2015 |
| Time: | 13:28 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N56897 |
| MSN: | 28-7425060 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2937 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E3D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Elko Regional Airport (KEKO), Elko, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Elko, NV (EKO) |
| Nampa, ID (MAN) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot stated that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane would not maintain a positive rate of climb. The pilot reported that he had previously experienced this on hot days, so he continued to make small control corrections in anticipation of the airplane gaining altitude; however, once it reached about 200 ft above ground level, the airplane began to sink. The pilot then decided to retard the throttle and perform a forced landing into a field. The airplane landed hard, resulting in substantial damage.
The airplane was operating in a high density altitude environment and at the upper limit of its takeoff performance envelope at the time of the accident. Additionally, the pilot did not lean the engine’s fuel mixture control before takeoff as recommended by the engine and airframe manufacturers’ operating instructions; therefore, the engine was likely not producing full power, which resulted in the airplane’s inability to climb. Further, the engine’s spark plugs exhibited carbon fouling signatures consistent with an overly rich fuel-to-air mixture. Postaccident examination revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to sufficiently lean the engine’s fuel-to-air mixture for the given density altitude, which resulted in reduced engine power output and the airplane’s inability to climb.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=56897
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Sep-2015 02:19 | Geno | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 19-Aug-2017 15:07 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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