Plane Crash Reports 2003

2003 Plane Crash Report Result

Title: , A LAKE LA-4-200, N32DQ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN ABO

Report Date: 10/17

Plane Crash Problem: On September 15, 2003, about 1830 eastern daylight time, a Lake LA-4-200, N32DQ, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at Mayers Airport, Ashland, Virginia. The certificated private pilot, and passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight. No flight plan had been filed for the local flight that was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated: "...Takeoff run normal, rotated at 60 mph. Right after liftoff, the engine or prop sound changed. It sounded like the prop, but different sound that I'd ever heard before. Plane seemed to slow and started to settle or drop. I decided to abort, pulled power, landed and hit the brakes. Couldn't stop in time, nose wheel came off when we crossed the driveway at end of runway. Went downhill into the pond, nosed down into the water and stopped...." According to an inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), after the accident, a ground power run was performed. The engine was started with no problems noted, and after warm-up, a magneto check was performed. The drop on each magneto was 50 rpm. The engine was then accelerated to takeoff power, 2500 rpm, and remained there for 5 minutes with no variation in rpm noted. The high power run was repeated a second time, again with no variation in rpm noted. However, when the propeller control was placed in the cruise power range, 2200 to 2300 rpm, the propeller tended to hunt, plus or minus 50 rpm. The inspector further reported that this was the original engine, delivered with the airplane in October 1978. The engine and propeller had been overhauled once, in August 2000, at a total time of 1,237.9 hours. Following the overhaul, the engine and propeller had accumulated an additional 120 hours. Examination of the overhaul records revealed the propeller governor had not been overhauled when the engine was overhauled. The pilot reported his total flight experience as 469 hours, with 120 hours in make and model, including 80 hours in the preceding 90 days.

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