Piper PA22-150 accident near Cumming, Georgia, March 30, 1997
On March 30, 1997 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Piper PA22-150, registered N3201Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cumming, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power for an undermined reason, which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent impact with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 1997 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cumming, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22-150 · all PA22-150s on the register
- Registration
- N3201Z · registry record · serial 22-7141
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight the pilot noticed a decrease in engine RPM's. He switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat. He further stated that the only thing that helped was the 'in and out motion on the throttle.' The engine did not regain power so the pilot attempted a forced landing in a pasture, which resulted in impact with the ground. The engine was removed from the airplane and placed on a test stand and run with all the original parts that were on the engine at the time of the accident with the exception of the carburetor. The carburetor had sustained impact damage and the throttle valve was separated from the body of the carburetor. The engine test run did not reveal any discrepancies. The carburetor was disassembled and the gasket was found dry and in pieces. There was no fuel found in the bowl.
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: 1,201 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 900 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,601 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 84A at 1:47 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.