Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB ERA09LA176
PIPER PA-28-140 — Ridgeland, SC
| Date | February 26, 2009 |
| Location | Ridgeland, SC |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA-28-140 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Approach-VFR pattern downwind Loss of engine power (partial) |
| Pilot age | 48 |
| Pilot total time | 160 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 40 hrs |
| Fatalities | 1, 1 serious |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - F
What happened
After takeoff from runway 21, the airplane climbed to an altitude of 500 feet; however, the pilot felt the engine was not producing sufficient power, and performed an uneventful landing. The pilot performed a run-up check of the engine, found it was operating normally, and then elected to depart again. While on the downwind leg, about 200 feet above the ground, the pilot again felt there was a problem with the engine, so he again elected to land, but during this attempt he maneuvered the airplane to return to the opposite end of the runway. The airplane approached the runway at a near 45-degree angle and landed hard, collapsing the landing gear. A postaccident inspection of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any mechanical abnormalities. Reported winds were from 180 degrees at 5 knots.