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| Date: | Thursday 28 February 2002 |
| Time: | 09:50 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-300 Cherokee Six |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N33584 |
| MSN: | 32-7540107 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2222 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Hamilton, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Clearwater Airpark, FL (CLW/KCLW) |
| Rome-Richard B Russell Airport, GA (RMG/KRMG) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On February 28, 2002, at 0950 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N33584, registered to E and F Flying Club LLC, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, collided with tree while attempting a forced landing following a loss of engine power in the vicinity of Hamilton, Georgia. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The private pilot was fatally injured and one passenger sustained serious injuries. The flight originated from Clearwater, Florida, at 0700.
The pilot informed the controller that he was having engine problems. The controller asked the pilot what his intentions were and the pilot responded that he would like a vector to Pine Mountain or the nearest airport. The controller provided the pilot with a vector to the nearest airport. The pilot informed the controller that he had a complete loss of engine power. The controller asked how many people were on board and the fuel remaining. The pilot informed the controller that he had 40 gallons of fuel on board and that he was not going to make the airport, and he was going to land in a clearing. Radar contact was lost 8 miles north of Columbus VOR. Examination of the crash site revealed the forced landing area was unsuitable due to trees and high vegetation. Examination of the airplane revealed the left and right wing fuel tanks and left and right auxiliary fuel tanks were ruptured. No browning of vegetation was present along the crash debris line. The fuel caps were secure with a tight seal and there was no evidence of fuel streaking on either the upper or lower surface of the wing. The fuel line was disconnected to the flow divider and no fuel was present. The fuel strainer was manually turned on and about three ounces of fuel was collected. The fuel strainer was removed and about a ounce of fuel was collected. Review of refueling slips revealed the airplane was topped off before departing on the flight. Review of the Pilot's Operating Handbook Performance Section revealed the pilot had enough fuel for the planned flight with reserve fuel available. The engine test run indicates the engine was capable of producing power and there was no discrepancies or anomalies.
Probable Cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20020308X00320&key=1
https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=54289
Location
Images:
Photo: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
| 09-Dec-2017 15:48 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 13-Dec-2024 13:39 | Captain Adam | Updated [Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
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