Accident Overview
On April 23, 2008, about 1000 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N333KQ, sustained substantial damage when it impacted trees during a forced landing after takeoff from Gilmer County Airport (49A) in Ellijay, Georgia. The certificated commercial pilot sustained serious injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger incurred minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight destined for Dekalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Atlanta, Georgia. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot and Passenger Statements
The pilot and passenger each submitted written statements recounting similar events. According to the statements, the pilot landed at 49A to fuel the airplane and change the engine oil. They learned that fuel was not available, contrary to information in the airport facility directory, because a new fuel tank had recently been installed and not yet filled. The pilot walked to a nearby gas station and purchased 5 gallons of "93 octane" automotive fuel. The pilot inquired with gas station attendants, who reported that the fuel did not contain ethanol.
After returning to the airport, the pilot added the purchased fuel to the left fuel tank and performed an engine run-up with no abnormalities noted. The takeoff from runway 21 proceeded normally until about 200 feet above the ground, when the engine began losing power. The pilot switched tanks, adjusted the mixture, and checked the master switch, fuel pump, and primer. The engine stopped producing power shortly thereafter. Realizing he could not clear the trees ahead, the pilot attempted to turn back toward the airport. The airplane continued to lose altitude, so the pilot adjusted the pitch attitude for best glide speed. The airplane then struck trees and came to rest.
Airport Manager's Observations
The airport manager arrived about the time the pilot and passenger returned from purchasing fuel. He watched as the pilot added the automotive fuel to the left fuel tank and asked how much fuel had been in the tank; the pilot responded "approximately 6 gallons." The manager watched the departure. After becoming airborne, about 1,500 to 2,000 feet down the runway, the airplane climbed to about 200 feet and then began a right turn. About that time, the engine "sputtered" one or two times, then "quit." The airplane subsequently impacted trees about 2,000 feet west of the southern end of runway 3.
Post-Accident Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane at the scene. Both fuel tanks remained intact. About 4.5 gallons of fuel were drained from the left fuel tank, and a trace amount of fuel was observed in the right fuel tank. The fuel selector valve was positioned to the right fuel tank position. The propeller did not exhibit any signatures consistent with engine operation at impact.
The airplane was recovered to an aircraft recovery facility, where it was examined by a Safety Board investigator and representatives of the airframe and engine manufacturer. The engine was removed and placed on a test rig. Due to impact damage, the original carburetor, engine-driven fuel pump, and oil filter were replaced; the muffler of the aftermarket exhaust system was removed. The engine was test-run using gasoline recovered from the airplane’s fuel tanks. It started almost immediately, and testing of both magnetos revealed rpm losses of less than 100 rpm each. The engine ran continuously at 700 rpm and 1,400 rpm, then at full power (2,300 rpm) for 3 minutes.
During the test run, a small amount of black smoke was observed from the exhaust stack. Following the run, black soot was observed on the inside of the exhaust stack, but not on the portion of the exhaust that was removed prior to the engine run, which exhibited only light gray and brown deposits.
Examination of the original engine-driven fuel pump revealed its internal mechanism was clean and intact. Electrical power was applied to the electric boost pump, and its operation was confirmed. Disassembly and examination of the original carburetor revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical anomalies.
Pilot and Aircraft Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single- and multi-engine land, and instrument airplane. His most recent application for an FAA third-class medical certificate was dated November 2005, and at that time he reported 600 total hours of flight experience.
Review of the airplane’s maintenance logs revealed that the engine was last overhauled on November 3, 1983. The most recent annual inspection was completed on December 6, 2007, and a 100-hour inspection was also completed on that date. On that date, the airplane had accrued 6,420 total flight hours; 187 additional flight hours had accrued as of the accident date. On April 18, 2008, an aftermarket exhaust system was installed on the engine.
According to FAA airworthiness information, the accident airplane was issued a supplemental type certificate for the use of automotive gasoline on January 27, 1989. Lycoming Service Instruction 1009AS recommends that engines, including the O-320 engine the accident airplane was equipped with, be overhauled after 12 years, regardless of hours operated. According to the aircraft manufacturer, the accident airplane had a total unusable fuel quantity of 3 pints.
Weather Conditions
Weather conditions reported at Dalton Municipal Airport (DNN), Dalton, Georgia, about 30 nautical miles west of the accident site, at 1000 included winds from 140 degrees at 4 knots, 10 statute miles visibility, clear skies below 12,000 feet, temperature 18 degrees Celsius, dewpoint 12 degrees Celsius, and an altimeter setting of 30.17 inches of mercury.