Piper PA-28-180 accident near Columbus, Mississippi, June 5, 1997
On June 5, 1997 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7581W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Columbus, Mississippi (Columbus-Lowndes County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate maintenance/inspection and subsequent corrosion of the air filter, which resulted in pieces of the air filter to block the intake to the carburetor and result in loss of engine power. A factor relating to the accident was: failure of maintenance personnel to comply with a manufacturer's Service Bulletin.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1997 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Columbus, Mississippi · Columbus-Lowndes County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7581W · registry record · serial 28-1523
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route back to the departure airport, after a series of maneuvers, the engine sputtered, then lost power. All attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful. The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing in a cornfield. Later a mechanic determined that the engine air filter was corroded, which allowed pieces of aluminum to 'flake off' and be ingested into the carburetor. There was evidence that these pieces blocked the carburetor air intake, causing air starvation in the engine. Piper Service Bulletin, Number 975, was issued which recommended maintenance or replacement of a seal around the landing light. Cracking of this seal could allowed standing water to corrode the air filter. The service bulletin was not complied with.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 130 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1997; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UBS MS at 6:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 4,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:30 pm from CBM, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.