Piper PA-28-151 accident near Hope Mills, North Carolina, May 26, 2024

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

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.

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.

Photographs from the investigation 11 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

Photograph 1 – Empennage and wreckage at the site.Photograph 2 – View of fuselage wreckage at the accident site.Photograph 3 – View of wreckage at hangar facility. (NTSB)Photograph 4 – View of left wing at hangar facility (NTSB)Photograph 5 – View of propeller assembly and engine on hoist. (NTSB)Photograph 6 – View of number 2 and 4 side of engine. (NTSB)Photograph 7 – View of right wing damage at hangar facility. (NTSB)Photograph 8 – View of number 1 and 3 side of engine on hoist. (NTSB)Photograph 9 – View of damaged magnetos.Photograph 10 – View of spark plugs.Photograph 11 – View of removed cylinder assemblies. (NTSB)

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.