Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Elbert County-Patz Fld Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Elberton, Georgia 30635
Wednesday, July 15, 1987 17:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT NOTED A PROGRESSIVE LOSS OF PWR THAT BEGAN DRG THE CLIMB TO CRUISE. HE DIVERTED BACK TOWARD THE DEP ARPT & ATMTDTO RESTORE PWR BY ACTIVATING THE BOOST PUMP, MOVING THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, SWITCHING FUEL TANKS & APPLYING CARB HEAT.HOWEVER, THE ENG CONTD TO LOSE PWR. AS HE MANEUVERED THE ACFT ONTO A SHORT FINAL APCH, THE ENG LOST ALL PWR & THE ACFT CRASH LNDD SHORT OF THE RWY IN A SWAMP. A POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE. SVRL OUNCES OF WATER & SEDIMENT WERE FND IN THE CARB BOWL; HOWEVER, DRG THE CRASH &/OR RECOVERY OF THE ACFT, THE FUEL LINES BROKE & THE ENG BECAME NEARLY COMPLETELY SUBMERGED IN WATER. SVRL SPARK PLUGS WERE SLIGHTLY FOULED WITH BLACK, SOOTY CARBON DEPOSITS. THE ACFT WAS STC'D TO OPER ON AUTO-FUEL & WAS SVCD WITH 89 OCTANE REGULAR FUEL. THE CARB WAS EQUIPPED WITH A COMPOSITE FLOAT, WHICH HAD EVIDENCE OF MINOR DETERIORATION; HOWEVER, DRG A FLOW CHECK, THE CARB FUNCTIONED PROPERLY.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/15/1987 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1730 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | ELBERTON |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30635 |
| Event Date Year | 1987 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | ELBERT COUNTY-PATZ FLD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 27A |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | 600 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1748 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 252 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AHN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 807 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 15 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 340 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2100 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 3 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1668 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jul 15 1987 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1848 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 35006 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 2:34PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N5502F |
| NTSB Number | ATL87FA212 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-24840 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2150 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 13 1987 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 37 |
| Airframe Hours | 2301 |
| ELT Installed | Unknown |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | MURIEL D COMOLLI |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 119 N MCINTOSH ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | ELBERTON |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30635 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | MURIEL D. COMOLLI |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 119 N.MC INTOSH ST. |
| Operator City | ELBERTON |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 30635 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1715 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DNL |
| Destination City | AUGUSTA |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 10 |
| Runway Length | 3400 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |