Accident Overview
On August 18, 2012, at approximately 1700 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, registration N1845J, impacted trees and terrain during initial climb from runway 09 at Donner Field Airport (OH28) near Leesburg, Ohio. The private pilot and a passenger were uninjured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal local flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Witness Observations
A witness who had administered the pilot’s recent biennial flight review in the accident airplane described the airplane's performance as "anemic." The witness had questioned the pilot before takeoff about whether he should attempt departure considering the density altitude, grass runway, and airplane weight. Another witness reported that the airplane seemed "too slow" and its climb was "slow." The airplane reached an altitude of 40–50 feet above ground, level with trees beside the runway and slightly above trees at the departure end.
Pilot Statements
The pilot reported performing a normal preflight inspection and engine runup. He set 20 degrees of flaps and used a short/soft field takeoff technique with best angle of climb. The pilot stated the airplane was climbing normally when it "coughed" over the runway end. Engine speed quickly decreased, and the propeller was still turning. He leveled the airplane before it struck trees at the departure end.
Flight History and Aircraft Information
The pilot’s logbook showed a total flight time of 523.5 hours as of August 12, 2012. His biennial flight review occurred on June 7, 2012, in the accident airplane. The 1968 Piper PA-28-140 (serial number 28-24280) was powered by a Lycoming O-320-D2A engine. The engine had been overhauled in November 1998 at 2,333.3 tachometer hours. The last annual inspection was March 7, 2012, at 3,230.6 total hours, with 897 hours since major overhaul. The tachometer at the accident site read 3,238.37 hours.
Takeoff Performance Data
The Piper Cherokee 140 Owner’s Handbook indicates that at a density altitude of about 2,524 feet and a gross weight of 1,950 pounds, the takeoff ground run is about 1,000 feet and the distance over a 50-foot obstacle is 2,050 feet. At the same density altitude and a gross weight of 2,150 pounds, the ground run is about 1,100 feet and obstacle clearance distance is 2,300 feet. The airplane’s empty weight was 1,301 pounds. The pilot reported 30 gallons of fuel on board. Pilot weight was 220 pounds; passenger weight was estimated between 180 and 200 pounds.
Environmental Conditions
The automated weather at Wilmington Air Park (ILN), about 10 miles northwest, recorded at 1654: wind 150° at 5 knots, temperature 25°C, dew point 9°C, altimeter 29.92 inHg. Field elevation at OH28 is 990 feet, yielding a density altitude of about 2,524 feet.
Wreckage and Component Examination
The airplane came to rest about 700 feet from the departure end of runway 09. The left wing initially contacted a tree, yawing the airplane left into another tree that impacted the right fuselage behind the aft seats. The cockpit flap control and flaps were in the 0-degree position. The fuel selector was off, magneto switch off, keys removed, throttle full forward, carburetor heat off, master switch off, electric fuel pump off, mixture full aft.
Fuel caps were secure; fuel poured from wing tanks. The engine firewall sump bowl contained fuel, and fuel was present in the carburetor bowl. One propeller blade exhibited S-shaped bending; the other had no damage. A severed tree limb consistent with propeller strike was nearby.
Engine examination revealed throttle and mixture control continuity, about 5 quarts of oil, no spark plug fouling, compression on all cylinders, and unobstructed air induction. The left magneto had evidence of an intermittent grounded/un-grounded condition; it could not be grounded using the P-lead during testing. The right magneto operated normally. The carburetor had an incorrect heat box-to-carburetor gasket; otherwise, the carburetor screens were clear and float intact. The electric fuel pump operated normally but could not be bench tested due to impact damage. The engine-driven pump worked normally. The fuel selector had a small intermittent leak at the valve stem but functioned.
Contributing Factors Noted
No explicit probable cause was stated in the provided source.