ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 37370
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| Date: | Tuesday 18 March 1997 |
| Time: | 18:45 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-22-160 |
| Owner/operator: | John Robert Franklin |
| Registration: | N3629Z |
| MSN: | 22-7522 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1802 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-C2B |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bagdad, AZ -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | (E51) |
| Mesa, AZ (KFFZ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot made an unplanned stop at the airport due to a sick passenger, then about 30 minutes later, he took off again. Later, the density altitude at the airport was computed to be 6572 feet. After takeoff, the airplane was observed to enter a right crosswind turn, then it abruptly rolled and pitched downward. Reportedly, it remained in a nose down attitude until colliding with terrain. No preimpact mechanical failure was found. Investigation revealed the airplane, which was originally fabric covered, had been metalized; and its engine had been derated from 160 to 150 horsepower. Also, the airplane's propeller had been repitched (impact and ground fire damage precluded measurement of the blade pitch angles). The NOAA Airport/Facility Directory stated under airport remarks that there may be unusual air currents in the vicinity of the airport. Runway 05-23 exhibited a variable gradient; the terrain at the departure end of runway 05 dropped, then raised. The pilot had received his private certificate on 2/18/97. The investigation did not determine whether he had leaned the mixture for takeoff in high density altitude. Also, the takeoff gross weight of the airplane was not determined.
Probable Cause: failure of the pilot to obtain and/or maintain adequate airspeed during takeoff/initial climb, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with the terrain. High density altitude was a related factor.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB LAX97FA126
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 16:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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