Piper PA-28-140 N4216J

Summary

On 25 June 2021 at about 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N4216J was involved in an accident near Porter, Texas, United States. 2 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 June 2021 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Porter, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

North Houston (9X1)

Coordinates

30.1534, -95.3220

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N4216J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Conroe

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA293

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s decision to continue the takeoff with degraded engine performance, which resulted in an inability to climb and a subsequent forced landing. The reason for the engine’s degraded performance could not be determined based on available information.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot and pilot-rated passenger, the airspeed did not increase during the initial climb. The pilot discontinued the climb and made a right turn to avoid trees. The pilot landed the airplane in a nearby construction site, and the airplane struck an embankment, which substantially damaged the fuselage and left wing. Neither the pilot nor the pilot-rated passenger reported noticing any deficiencies with the airplane during the preflight, taxi, or engine run-up. A witness heard the engine run-up and stated that the engine ran rough when the magneto check was performed. This witness and another witness reported that the engine did not sound as if it were producing full power when the airplane began to take off. They reported that the airplane did not become airborne until it was about half way down the runway. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any anomalies that could be attributed to a loss of engine power. Based on the available evidence, the airplane’s engine was likely not producing full power, which was evident during the pre-takeoff engine run-up. The pilot elected to continue the takeoff with degraded engine power, resulting in an inability to climb and a subsequent forced landing during which the airplane was damaged. The reason for the engine’s degraded performance could not be determined based on available information. At the time of the accident flight, the departure airport was scheduled to be permanently closed the following day, and the purpose of the flight was to relocate the airplane to a nearby airport. The pilot’s self-induced pressure to move the airplane likely contributed to his decision to continue the flight with degraded engine performance.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.