Event ERA24LA230

Factual narrative

On May 26, 2024, at 1100 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151, N33563, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hope Mills, North Carolina. The private pilot sustained minor injuries, and the two passengers were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot intended to fly from Grays Creek Airport (2GC), Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Johnston Regional Airport (JNX), Smithfield, North Carolina. According to the pilot, he conducted a preflight inspection of the airplane and subsequently taxied to the fueling pad, where he fueled the airplane to its maximum capacity of 48 gallons. The pilot and two passengers boarded the airplane, and the pilot started the engine. A witness noticed the loading of the airplane and expressed concern to the pilot through the pilot’s side window. He stated that “you just filled this thing up with gas and you have 3 people on board and it’s a hot humid day, it’s not going to perform like you are used to.” The pilot acknowledged that he did the calculations and was within limits. There were no reported anomalies during the taxi, engine run-up, or the subsequent takeoff roll; but shortly after initiating the initial climb, while climbing between 400 to 500 ft msl, the pilot noticed a drop in airspeed and was unable to maintain altitude. The mixture and throttle controls were full forward and the boost fuel pump was operating. He lowered the airplane’s nose to maintain airspeed and avoid a stall but was unable to maintain level flight, so he pitched for best glide speed. He attempted to locate a suitable area to make a forced landing; however, the airplane impacted trees and terrain about 3/4 mile from the airport. The pilot and a passenger evacuated themselves and extricated the other passenger, who was unconscious, as the airplane became engulfed in flames. The passenger sitting in the right aft seat stated that the engine sounded good on the ground and during the takeoff roll, but during initial climb, the airplane was no longer “going up.” It leveled off and felt like it was descending. The engine was operating, and the throttle was full forward; there were no unusual sounds, smells, bangs or other things that he noticed. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed the airplane had impacted heavily wooded terrain consisting of 50- to 75-ft-tall pine trees about 3/4 of a mile off the departure end of runway 35 and about 800 ft west of the runway extended centerline. There was substantial damage to the airframe; the fuselage was consumed by fire and both wings and the empennage were separated from the fuselage. The metal two-bladed fixed-pitch propeller remained attached to the engine’s crankshaft propeller flange. The propeller blades exhibited varying degrees of leading-edge damage, and chordwise scratching with torsional twisting and s-bending on both blades. The engine was subjected to postimpact fire and the exterior was damaged by thermal forces and impact. Subsequent examination of the wreckage confirmed flight control continuity on all control surfaces. There was no evidence of oil starvation. The engine, while damaged by thermal and impact forces, was largely intact and crankshaft continuity was confirmed through 720° of manual rotation. Thumb compression and suction were observed on cylinder Nos. 1, 2, and 4. No thumb compression or suction was observed on cylinder No. 3. All four cylinders were removed. Impact damage was noted on the No. 3 cylinder, the cylinder’s intake pushrod shroud tube, the pushrod, and the rocker box cover. In addition, the No. 3 cylinder was exposed to high thermal forces. The intake valve was not seated properly, but when removed, it was intact and not damaged; it rolled on the edge of a table and in a v-block smoothly. The crankcase was disassembled; the faces of each flat tappet appeared whole and undamaged, with no corrosion or pitting observed. The camshaft was intact and undamaged; no excessive wear was noted on any of the lobes. The fuel system, specifically the fuel pump and carburetor, were fragmented and damaged by thermal forces. The floats and internal mechanism were not tested due to the damage. The magnetos and ignition harnesses were severely damaged by thermal forces and were not tested. The spark plugs remained secured in the cylinders and removed for examination. When compared to the Champion Check-A-Plug chart, three of the spark plugs exhibited carbon fouling. Both the top and bottom spark plug for the No. 1 cylinder showed signs of significant carbon fouling and the top spark plug for the No. 2 cylinder showed carbon fouling. Review of the engine maintenance records indicated that the spark plugs had been checked during the last annual/100-hour inspection just over 2 months before the accident. The pilot stated that he had calculated a weight and balance for the flight that was 200 to 300 lbs below the airplane’s maximum takeoff weight and that “everything was within limits.” A subsequent interview with one of the passengers revealed that the two passengers were a total of about 20 lbs heavier than what was originally calculated. The weight did not greatly move the point in the weight and balance envelop; according to the load manifest provided by the pilot, the airplane was still within the weight and balance envelope, although it was on the upper side and about 150 to 200 lbs below maximum. The reported weather conditions at Fayetteville Regional Airport/Grannis Field (FAY), Fayetteville, North Carolina, which was about 6 miles north of 2GC, included a temperature of 82 F, dew point of 70° F, and an altimeter setting of 29.90 inHg near the time of the accident. The carburetor icing probability chart showed that the weather conditions at the time of the accident were conducive to carburetor icing at the glide power setting. The private pilot and two passengers boarded the fully fueled airplane for a cross-country flight. Weight and balance calculations showed that the airplane was about 150 to 200 lbs below the maximum gross weight and the weather conditions were warm and humid at the time. A witness, who observed the loading of the airplane and noted the heat and humidity, expressed some concern to the pilot who assured him that he was within limits. There were no reported anomalies during the taxi, engine run-up, or the subsequent takeoff roll, but shortly after beginning the initial climb, while climbing through 450 ft mean sea level (msl), 290 ft above ground level (agl), the pilot noticed a drop in airspeed and was unable to maintain altitude. The passenger stated the engine sounded good, but the airplane wasn’t climbing. Unable to maintain level flight, the pilot lowered the airplane’s nose to maintain airspeed and avoid a stall. The airplane impacted trees and terrain about 3/4 of a mile from the departure end of the runway. The resulting impact caused a postcrash fire. Postaccident examination of the engine and components revealed the propeller was likely under power at the time of impact. In addition, three of the eight spark plugs were carbon-fouled, two of which were on the No. 1 cylinder. This fouling is typically caused by a rich fuel-air mixture, especially during ground operations or low power settings. The deposits can hinder the spark plug's ability to fire effectively, leading to reduced engine performance. The reduced spark plug efficiency led to reduced engine performance and, when combined with the airplane’s high gross weight and the ambient temperature and humidity, led to the airplane’s inability to climb and maintain altitude and resulted in impact with trees and terrain. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).

• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Climb rate-Attain/maintain not possible
• — Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Ignition system-Spark plugs/igniters-Damaged/degraded
• — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Temp/humidity/pressure-High temperature-Effect on equipment
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-Climb capability-Attain/maintain not possible
• — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Understanding/comprehension-Pilot
• — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Aircraft capability-CG/weight distribution-Related operating info
• — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Tree(s)-Contributed to outcome