The airplane collided with trees while the pilot was returning to land after encountering a rough running engine shortly after takeoff from the Seminole Lake Gliderport at about 1440 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed for maintenance ferry flight Kissimmee, Fla. The airplane was substantially damaged although the Private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The pilot later stated that an engine problem resulted in an uneventful precautionary landing the day before. He replaced the damaged No. 2 cylinder exhaust pushrod, pushrod housing, pushrod seals and lock tab but did not inspect the valve. Following the repairs, the engine was started and a full static run-up was performed with no discrepancies. Approximately two miles after takeoff, the engine started running rough. The pilot elected to return and, after recognizing he was going to overshoot the runway, elected to perform a 360-degree turn on final approach. During the turn, the aircraft impacted trees and came to rest in a swamp.
April 15, 2005, Groveland, Fla. / Piper PA-28-161 Warrior
The airplane collided with trees while the pilot was returning to land after encountering a rough running engine shortly after takeoff from the Seminole Lake Gliderport at about 1440 Eastern time. Visual conditions prevailed for maintenance ferry flight Kissimmee, Fla. The airplane was substantially damaged although the Private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The pilot later stated that an engine problem resulted in an uneventful precautionary landing the day before. He replaced the damaged No. 2 cylinder exhaust pushrod, pushrod housing, pushrod seals and lock tab but did not inspect the valve. Following the repairs, the engine was started and a full static run-up was performed w...
Key Takeaways:
- An airplane crashed into trees and came to rest in a swamp while the pilot attempted an emergency return due to a rough-running engine shortly after takeoff.
- The engine trouble re-occurred after the pilot had performed repairs the previous day for a similar issue, but did not inspect the valve.
- During the return, the pilot executed a 360-degree turn on final approach to avoid overshooting the runway, leading to the impact.
- The aircraft sustained substantial damage, though the private pilot, the sole occupant, was uninjured.
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