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).
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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 October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 2002 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Cincinnati, Ohio · Cincinnati-Lunken Field · 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 |
Other NTSB records under N27838 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC02LA077.