NTSB BFO91LA050 — 1991-05-25 · DANVILLE, Virginia, United States

Current FAA registration · N5931D

Make / Model: PIPER PA-22-150
Year of manufacture: 1956 · 35 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19561115
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A7AB0B

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N5931D Piper PA-22-150 Minor

Probable cause & findings

AN INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION WHICH RESULTED IN WATER CONTAMINATED FUEL. CONTRIBUTING WAS NONCOMPLIANCE WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING TAKEOFF CLIMB AT ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE LOST POWER. SHE TURNED BACK TO THE AIRPORT, BUT BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE, THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES SHORT OF THE AIRPORT. THE POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED ABOUT ONE HALF CUP OF WATER IN THE AIRPLANE BELLY SUMP AND IN THE CARBURETOR. IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVENESS PERTAINING TO WATER CONTAMINATED FUEL CAUSED BY IMPROPER FUEL CAP SEALS WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1991_BFO91LA050.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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