Accident Details
A private pilot departed Runway 15 at West Houston Airport (IWS) in Houston, Texas, in a Piper PA-28R-180. At approximately 600 feet above ground level, the engine quit. The pilot executed a forced landing about 2 miles off the departure end of the runway into an unimproved area. The landing gear was down and locked, and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The nose gear sheared off, and both main gear were forced upward into the wing structures.
Pilot Report
The pilot stated that he had failed to deactivate the automatic gear lowering feature of the aircraft, which resulted in the forced landing. He reported that he had taken on 27 gallons of low-lead aviation fuel at West Houston Airport and had drained fuel samples from the wing tank sumps and the gasolator, finding no water present.
Investigation Findings
Post-accident investigation of the aircraft revealed some water present in the gasolator. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and one passenger were uninjured.