Piper PA-32R-300 N43945

Summary

On 27 July 2006 at about 20:04 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N43945, operated by Linwood E Wadsworth, was involved in an accident near Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured, one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 July 2006 at 20:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Blacksburg, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Virginia Tech/Montgomery Execu (BCB)

Coordinates

37.2078, -80.4078

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N43945

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Linwood E Wadsworth

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Blacksburg → Tappahannock

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC06LA185

1 person was seriously injured.

A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a forced landing after takeoff, and subsequent collision with trees.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was completely fueled earlier during the day, and completed one flight uneventfully. The airplane departed on runway 30 for a return flight to the pilot's home airport. About 200 feet agl, the engine began to run rough and lost partial power. The electric fuel pump was already on, and the pilot switched fuel tanks, but the engine continued to run rough. The pilot initially flew a left hand traffic pattern for runway 30; however, he subsequently did not think the airplane would reach that runway. The pilot then performed a forced landing to a closed runway oriented about 070 degrees. The airplane touched down near the end of the runway, traveled over a grassy area, and struck trees. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the flaps were in the retracted position. The left wing fuel tank was compromised during the impact. The right wing fuel tank remained intact, and was approximately 1/4-full. In addition, fuel was present in the fuel manifold. The fuel selector was found positioned toward the left tank position, but not in the detent. Further examination of the wreckage revealed that the number six exhaust valve pushrod was bent, possibly during recovery of the airplane. Examination of the engine, including the number six cylinder exhaust valve, did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was performed about 20 days prior to the accident, and the airplane had accumulated approximately 3 hours of operation since the inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.