ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272863
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| Date: | Thursday 30 December 2021 |
| Time: | 15:50 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-235 Cherokee 235 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8591W |
| MSN: | 28-10103 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1963 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-B2B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Presidia Lely International Airport (KPRS), Presidio, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Presidio-Lely International Airport, TX (KPRS) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On December 30, 2021, at 1550 central standard time, a Piper PA-28-235 airplane, N8591W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Presidio Lely International Airport (PRS), Presidio, Texas. The pilot and 5 passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
The non-certificated pilot and 5 passengers intended to complete a personal flight. After takeoff, the airplane impacted the ground about 600 yards from the end of the runway. The airplane came to rest upright about 50 yards from the initial impact point. The pilot fled the scene and was not available during the investigation. The passengers were transported to medical facilities for treatment and did not provide any information for the investigation.
Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed signs that the engine was producing power at the time of impact. There was no evidence of fuel in any of the fuel tanks or on the ground near the airplane, but one fuel tank was breached at the leading edge during the accident sequence. The examination did not reveal any preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
Local law enforcement stated that the total weight of the occupants was about 1,153 lbs. A fuel receipt showed that the airplane had been fueled with 42.23 gallons of fuel about 2 hours before the accident flight, at another airport about 142 nautical miles (nm) away. Due to the damage to the airplane, the investigation was unable to determine the amount of fuel onboard at the time of the accident. The estimated takeoff weight of the airplane was between 2,642 lbs and 2,775 lbs, and the maximum gross weight of the airplane was 2,900 lbs. The estimated center of gravity was between 93.89 and 93.94 inches aft of datum, which was aft of the allowable limit of 93.5 inches aft of datum.
It is likely that the pilot did not complete a preflight weight and balance calculation, which would have determined that the center of gravity would have been aft of the allowable limits. The aft center of gravity would have reduced the longitudinal stability during the climb out.
Probable Cause: The non-certificated pilot's failure to perform a preflight weight and balance calculation and his decision to operate the airplane beyond the allowable center of gravity limitations, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB CEN22LA091
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=104485
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=8591W
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 31-Dec-2021 02:10 | Geno | Added |
| 31-Dec-2021 02:54 | johnwg | Updated [Time, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category] |
| 31-Dec-2021 07:09 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Location, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 01-Jan-2022 20:44 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Narrative] |
| 17-Apr-2022 02:26 | johnwg | Updated [Source] |
| 16-Nov-2023 15:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
| 16-Nov-2023 15:49 | harro | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Nov-2023 17:45 | Captain Adam | Updated [Time, Source, Narrative, Photo] |
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