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| Date: | Wednesday 7 January 2004 |
| Time: | 11:30 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-151 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N1558X |
| MSN: | 28-7515423 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3292 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Danbury, CT -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Test |
| Departure airport: | Danbury, CT (DXR) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the takeoff climb, as the airplane approached the departure end of the runway, the pilot heard a "pop," the airplane began to shudder, and he felt a "decrease in aircraft performance." The pilot unsuccessfully attempted to evaluate the problem, and then at 400 feet, he initiated a turn back to the airport. During the turn, the airplane "stalled," impacted a tree, and a post-crash fire ensued. During the takeoff climb, witnesses observed a thin "puff" of smoke trailing from the airplane's exhaust, prior to the pilot initiating the turn back to the runway. On-scene examination of the airplane and engine did not reveal any mechanical deficiencies.
Probable Cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20040120X00074&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Feb-2015 14:26 | Noro | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 07-Dec-2017 17:36 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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