You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Thursday 27 August 2020 |
| Time: | 11:54 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28R-200 Arrow |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N9341N |
| MSN: | 28R-35042 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1969 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5606 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-360-C1C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | NE of Six Oaks Airport (NC67), Asheville, NC -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Fletcher, NC (NC67) |
| Greensboro, NC (W88) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that prior to the second flight of the day, there were no anomalies with the engine run up and proceeded to perform a soft field takeoff on the wet turf runway. He applied full throttle for takeoff and noted that the airplane was "slow" to accelerate, which he thought was because of the soft turf. As the airplane was in ground effect, it was not accelerating. He raised the landing gear in an attempt to increase performance, but the airplane began to settle since the engine was not making power. The airplane descended into a corn field off the departure end of the runway and impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. Prior to exiting the airplane, the pilot turned the fuel selector off and all the switches off. A witness reported to the pilot that the engine was sputtering
An examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions of the engine that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident. However, there was no fuel noted in the fuel lines to the engine driven fuel pump, the gascolator, fuel flow divider, or fuel servo. Fuel was plumbed into the engine, it started immediately, and ran continuously without anomaly until the fuel selector was moved to the OFF position. The engine ran for 32 seconds prior to shutting down after the fuel selector was turned OFF. The pilot reported that he turned the fuel selector OFF after the airplane came to rest in the corn.
According to the icing probability chart in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to serious carburetor icing at glide power. It is possible carburetor ice developed during the time the airplane spent with the engine running on the ground prior to takeoff. However, the evidence was inconclusive as to whether the engine lost power due to carburetor icing or due to the pilot incorrectly positioning the fuel selector switch prior to takeoff.
Probable Cause: A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA20LA302
http://my40.tv/news/local/emergency-crews-on-scene-of-plane-accident-in-buncombe-county
https://www.foxcarolina.com/news/dispatch-no-one-hurt-after-small-plane-crashes-in-buncombe-county/article_62771394-e895-11ea-9f86-93cc81a6f6f9.html
https://www.facebook.com/News13/videos/1481329852254613/
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N9341N
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=9341N
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Aug-2020 19:23 | Geno | Added |
| 27-Aug-2020 20:57 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 27-Aug-2020 21:31 | RobertMB | Updated [Total occupants, Phase, Nature, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 28-Aug-2020 23:44 | Captain Adam | Updated [Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 29-Aug-2020 01:15 | RobertMB | Updated [Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 29-Aug-2020 16:09 | Captain Adam | Updated [Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Sep-2020 08:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 16-Sep-2020 08:32 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 14-Oct-2022 12:42 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report, ] |
| 14-Oct-2022 13:03 | harro | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation