ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 233482
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| Date: | Friday 28 February 2020 |
| Time: | 15:30 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser |
| Owner/operator: | Highland Rim Aviation LLC |
| Registration: | N79HA |
| MSN: | 28-7425135 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3424 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Maury County Airport (MRC/KMRC), Columbia/Mount Pleasant, TN -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Columbia-Maury County Airport, TN (MRC/KMRC) |
| Columbia-Maury County Airport, TN (MRC/KMRC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
After engine startup, the flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction discussed the soft field takeoff maneuver on the ramp for 12 to 15 minutes before taxiing to the turf runway. They did not perform an engine runup or apply carburetor heat before departing. About 900 ft down the turf runway, the airplane became airborne in ground effect. The pilot attempted twice to climb, but on both attempts the airplane settled back into ground effect. The instructor reported that the airplane did not seem to be producing sufficient power to climb. The pilot assessed the airplane's ability to clear the power lines at the edge of the airport property, made the decision to stay on the airport property, and initiated a left turn. The airplane descended and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to the formation of serious carburetor icing at low engine power settings. It is likely that during the extended ground delay, when the engine was operating at low power, carburetor ice formed, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power during the initial climb. It is also likely that the carburetor ice would have been detected or prevented prior to takeoff had the recommended pre-takeoff ground checks been completed according to the pilot's operating handbook.
Probable Cause: A partial loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor icing that formed while idling on the ground for an extended amount of time. Contributing was the flight instructor's failure to perform the recommended ground checks before takeoff.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA20LA121
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=79HA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 2 April 2000 | N54454 | Horizon Aviation Inc. | 0 | PINE CITY, Minnesota | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Mar-2020 00:42 | Geno | Added |
| 03-Mar-2020 15:52 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Source, Narrative] |
| 01-Jul-2022 14:34 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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