Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Skidmore, West Virginia 16101
Thursday, December 18, 1997 20:20 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet with the engine producing satisfactory power. The pilot said the engine slowly and smoothly lost power over a 10-15 second duration. The engine completely lost power over an unlighted rural area and the pilot struck trees and collided with terrain during the subsequent forced landing. Examination of aircraft records revealed the engine and the fuel control were overhauled by their respective manufacturers and the engine was installed 2 weeks prior to the accident. The engine had accumulated 14.6 hours since overhaul. Examination of the engine revealed no mechanical deficiencies. Examination of the fuel control servo revealed that a lock nut was no longer installed. The initial flow tests revealed a flow rate equivalent to idle cut off. When a test nut was installed, the unit flowed 'perfectly.' When questioned about the performance of the fuel servo and the engine with the outer nut no longer installed in the servo, the Inspector stated, 'Basically, what it does is it shuts off the fuel when that nut backs off. It's just like pulling it to idle cut off.'
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
an improper overhaul of the fuel servo by the manufacturer, which resulted in the loss of engine power. Factors in the accident were the dark night conditions and rough forced landing terrain.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/18/1997 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2020 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | SKIDMORE |
| Event State | WEST VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16101 |
| Event Date Year | 1997 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2051 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 250 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | EKN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1987 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 50 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 9 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1766 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 19 1997 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1142 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 8 2000 12:43PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9418N |
| NTSB Number | NYC98LA045 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-35130 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 2 1997 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 14 |
| Airframe Hours | 3852 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | CONGRESSIONAL AIR CHARTER INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7940 AIRPARK ROAD |
| Aircraft Owner City | GAITHERSBURG |
| Aircraft Owner State | MD |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20879 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| Operator Code | C67A |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CRW |
| Departure City | CHARLESTON |
| Departure State | WV |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GAI |
| Destination City | GAITHERSBURG |
| Destination State | MD |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |