Piper PA-28-180 N6494J

Summary

On 20 September 2005 at about 19:28 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N6494J was involved in an accident near Millville, New Jersey, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 September 2005 at 19:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Millville, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Millville Municipal Airport (MIV)

Coordinates

39.3678, -75.0722

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N6494J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Millville → Atlantic City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC05LA144

2 people were seriously injured.

The flight instructor's improper in-flight decision to perform a emergency landing to a runway, with a tailwind, and his failure to maintain airspeed after aborting that landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Factors in the accident were the partial loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder, and tailwind condition.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff from runway 28, at an altitude of 600 feet msl, the pilot initiated a right turn. During the turn, the engine began to "run rough," and the engine rpm decreased to between 1,800 - 2,000 rpm. The flight instructor told the pilot to return to the airport, and the pilot set up the airplane for a downwind landing on runway 10. When the airplane was halfway down the runway, the pilots decided to perform a go-around. They applied full power, and initiated a "slight" climbing right turn above trees at the departure end of runway 28, and then a left turn to return for landing on runway 28. During the turn, the aircraft "entered an accelerated stall," and the left main landing gear impacted the ground. The airplane continued across a grass area and struck a group of trees. Examination of the engine revealed the number 3 cylinder contained a crack from the spark plug hole to a point between the cylinder intake and exhaust valve. The most recent annual inspection was performed 2 months prior to the accident, during which no abnormalities were noted with the cylinders. At the time of the accident, the wind was from 250 degrees at 7 knots. The airport consisted of two runways; runway 10/28, which was 6,002 feet long by 150 feet wide, and runway 14/32 which was 5,057 feet long by 150 feet wide.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.