Piper PA-28-235 N8554W

Summary

On 1 February 2013 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N8554W, operated by Curtis Jolley, was involved in an accident near Bountiful, Utah, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 February 2013 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Bountiful, Utah, United States

Nearest airport

Skypark Airport (BTF)

Coordinates

40.8692, -111.9269

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N8554W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Curtis Jolley

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bountiful → Bountiful

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13LA109

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, following an uneventful takeoff, he initiated a right turn to the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern when the engine lost power. He continued to turn the airplane right toward the departure runway while switching to the right fuel tank, but there was no change in engine power. Unable to make it to the runway, he initiated a forced landing into an open, snow-covered field. During the landing roll, the right main landing gear submerged in the snow, the airplane veered to the right, and the left wing struck the ground. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A local reporting station recorded the temperature as 43 degrees F and dew point as 28 degrees F. Although the reported weather conditions were conducive to carburetor icing at glide and cruise power, the engine was operating at a high power setting for takeoff, indicating that carburetor ice likely was not the reason for the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.