Piper PA-28-160 accident near New Carlisle, Ohio, April 24, 1994
On April 24, 1994 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-160, registered N5855W, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Carlisle, Ohio (Barnhart Memorial airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inattention to the mixture control which was inadvertently placed in the idle cut-off position by the passenger and resulted in a loss of engine power. A factor is the pilot's inadequate planning.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 1994 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Carlisle, Ohio · Barnhart Memorial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-160 · all PA-28-160s on the register
- Registration
- N5855W · registry record · serial 28-2358
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT WHILE ON FINAL APPROACH TO THE RUNWAY, HE ENCOUNTERED TURBULENCE AND A 'SUDDEN LOSS OF ALTITUDE' ABOUT 200 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND. HE STATED THAT HE ADDED POWER, BUT COULD NOT 'GET ENOUGH POWER TO REACH THE RUNWAY.' THE AIRPLANE LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, IMPACTING A FENCE AND AN ELEVATED ROAD. AN EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS. THE PILOT STATED THAT THE REASON THE ENGINE COULD NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER WAS BECAUSE THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS ACCIDENTLY PULLED OUT FROM A HEAD SET CABLE. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT HE CHECKED THE MIXTURE CONTROL DURING THE BASE AND FINAL APPROACH LEGS.
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: 626 hours in all; 521 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 583 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,372 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 14, 1993; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:50 pm from DAY, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.