Piper J4A accident near Cincinnati, Ohio, March 28, 2002
On March 28, 2002 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper J4A, registered N27838, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati-Lunken Field). 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
The maintenance technician's failure to properly adjust the carburetor float. Factors were the unsuitable terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time · cases in 2002
- Place
- Cincinnati, Ohio · Cincinnati-Lunken Field · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper J4A · all J4As on the register
- Registration
- N27838 · no longer on the register · serial 4-1059
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, while the airplane was climbing through an estimated 300 feet, the engine lost power. The pilot saw he had terrain obstructions straight ahead and to the right, and jet traffic on the ground to the left. He attempted to land between parallel runways, but approaching the touchdown area, saw there was unsuitable terrain in the form of bogs and ditches. The pilot then continued to turn another 90-120 degrees to the left. The airplane "ran out of airspeed," and the left wheel caught the side of the runway. The left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane flipped over. This was the first flight after an annual inspection. During the inspection, the carburetor was replaced, and the carburetor float had also been changed. Post-accident examination revealed that the carburetor float was out of adjustment.
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: 750 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 2, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,511 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 28, 2002; 0.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,301 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LUK Cincinnati OH
- Destination: LUK OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21R, 3,802 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LUK
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.
Other NTSB records under N27838 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N27838: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper J4 Cub Coupe 197 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,848 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Teledyne Continental C-85 4,671 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Cincinnati Muni/Lunken Field · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Ohio 1,884 since 1982 · 253 in the last ten years
- Ohio 8,529 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N27838 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC02LA077.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.