Piper PA28 N33005

Summary

On 25 April 2020 at about 17:40 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N33005 was involved in an accident near East Hampton, New York, United States. 3 people were 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

25 April 2020 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

East Hampton, New York, United States

Nearest airport

East Hampton (HTO)

Coordinates

40.9594, -72.2517

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N33005

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

East Hampton → Bridgeport

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA20LA163

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power after takeoff due to the formation of carburetor ice while on the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to apply carburetor heat.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During the climb after takeoff and with the throttle in the full throttle position, the pilot noticed a vibration and diminished engine power. At 400 or 500 ft mean seal level (msl), the engine began sputtering. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to return to the airport. When the airplane was at an altitude of 300 to 400 ft msl, the engine continued to sputter then experienced a total loss of power. The airplane descended, and the pilot made a right turn toward a runway. The airplane touched down about 3/4 down the runway, went off the end through a fence, and came to rest in a field. The airplane sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination found no evidence of any preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airframe or engine that would preclude normal operation. After the examination, the engine was started and test run normally. Review of the meteorological conditions that existed around the time of the accident and a carburetor icing chart indicated that conditions were conducive to the formation of carburetor icing at glide (idle) and cruise power. Per the pilot’s operating handbook (POH), the pilot had turned off the carburetor heat after the pre-takeoff engine runup. Afterward, during the climb and despite experiencing a partial loss of power and engine roughness, the pilot did not turn on carburetor heat as directed in the POH emergency procedures. Therefore, it is likely that carburetor ice accumulated while the airplane was on the ground, which resulted in a partial loss of power once airborne.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.