History of Flight
On April 26, 2013, at approximately 1742 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151, registration N75148, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Spruce Creek Airport (7FL6) in Daytona Beach, Florida. The student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the positioning flight to Space Coast Regional Airport (TIX), Titusville, Florida, conducted under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
According to the student pilot, after completing an annual inspection, he performed a preflight inspection and informed his flight instructor of his intentions to depart for TIX. He started the engine while checking the brakes and began taxiing toward the runway. The engine then stalled. He shut down the airplane and consulted the mechanic, who noted that the fuel selector was in the OFF position. The student pilot moved the fuel selector to the left tank position (the fuller tank) and restarted the engine. He taxied to runway 5, stopped short for a run-up, and after several aircraft departed and one landed, he radioed his intentions, taxied onto the runway, and took off.
At approximately 300 feet, the engine sputtered. He leveled off; the engine briefly recovered but then lost power again. He was still over part of the runway. He radioed an emergency landing, maintained best glide speed, and attempted to return to the runway but was pushed right by a gust of wind. He observed a dry runoff area and avoided trees and houses, touched down, skipped once, and slid to a stop. He shut down all systems, including the fuel selector, before exiting.
Personnel Information
According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a second-class medical certificate and a student pilot certificate issued on January 31, 2013. He reported approximately 55 total flight hours at the time of the accident.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA-28-151 was manufactured in 1976. Its most recent annual inspection was completed on the accident date, April 26, 2013, at which time the airframe had accrued 3,983.8 total hours of operation.
Meteorological Information
The recorded weather at New Smyrna Beach Municipal Airport (EVB), about 5 nautical miles east of the accident site, at 1747 included: wind from 070 degrees at 12 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 3,000 feet, temperature 26°C, dew point 20°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.23 inches of mercury.
Airport Information
Spruce Creek Airport (7FL6) is a privately owned, uncontrolled airport with a single runway oriented 05/23. Runway 05 is asphalt, in good condition, with nonprecision markings. Total runway length is 4,000 feet, width 176 feet, with a displaced threshold of 346 feet on both ends. Obstructions include 50-foot-tall trees located 1,500 feet from the departure end, requiring a 5:1 slope to clear.
Flight Recorders
The airplane was not equipped with a flight recorder but had a J.P. Instruments EDM 700 engine data management system. Examination of the EDM 700 revealed approximately 9,474 data points over 11 power cycles. The accident flight contained about 135 valid points spanning about 16 minutes. Data correlated to eastern daylight time using a 4-hour 45-minute offset. Parameters recorded included cylinder head temperature (CHT), exhaust gas temperature (EGT), outside air temperature (OAT), and engine shock cooling rate. The data showed a power cycle at 17:30:57 consistent with an engine stoppage due to the fuel selector being OFF. An increase in EGT and CHT between 17:37:40 and 17:37:52 was consistent with an engine runup. From 17:38:04 to about 17:41:34, EGTs and CHTs were steady; then EGTs increased by approximately 271°F, peaking around 17:41:52 consistent with takeoff. At 17:41:58, EGTs dropped suddenly by about 441°F, then increased by about 265°F momentarily, before continuously dropping until data ended.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination by an FAA inspector revealed that the airplane touched down to the right of the runway centerline, departed the runway surface, traveled down an embankment, and came to rest in a dry retention pond. Substantial damage was noted to the wings and fuselage. The propeller was bent, nose landing gear pushed back, firewall and engine mount bent. The right aft fuselage was wrinkled and bent, right stabilator attachment pushed forward, and right stabilizer tip bent. The left stabilizer was cracked, tail cone displaced right, mounting bolts pulled through. The left wing was wrinkled at the root, left main landing gear top protruded through the wing, bottom portion torn off, left flap bent, and left wing skin wrinkled. Fuel was present in both tanks, in the line to the carburetor, and when the electric fuel pump was activated, fuel pressure indicated 4 psi and fuel emerged from the carburetor supply line.
Tests and Research
On April 4, 2013, the wreckage was moved to an aircraft salvage facility. On April 6, 2013, an engine test run was conducted. The engine was secured to a trailer with a replacement propeller. All components were secure, and the engine started and ran immediately on the first attempt. A magneto check at normal static rpm showed no faults. The engine was accelerated to 2,300 rpm, running smoothly. Leaning and enriching the mixture caused no rpm loss. The fuel primer was opened with negligible rpm loss. The engine was shut down and restarted without anomalies.