Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Palatka Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Palatka, Florida 32177
Tuesady, June 3, 2008 9:30 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The accident airplane was a test platform for an experimental rotary engine. During the takeoff roll, the airplane accelerated normally and the pilot rotated the airplane at 75 knots. He established a positive rate of climb and retracted the landing gear. Immediately past the departure end of the 3,500-foot runway, the pilot thought that the rate of climb was "sluggish." As the airplane climbed, the pilot noticed that it was too close to the trees at the departure end of the runway, but was still climbing. The engine power decreased, and the airplane started to descend. The pilot attempted to avoid obstacles, such as trees and power lines, but the airplane eventually impacted trees and terrain. Examination of the engine revealed that the exhaust muffler was about 75 percent blocked by a collapse of the internal perforated tube and packing material. The exhaust muffler had been installed on the engine for approximately 1 year, and had accumulated approximately 171 flight hours prior to the accident flight. The engine was successfully test run following the accident, with no abnormalities noted.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A partial loss of engine power due to a blockage of the engine exhaust system as a result of an internal failure of the muffler.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/3/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 930 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Palatka |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32177 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 293931N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0814120W |
| Event Location Airport | Palatka Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 28J |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 49 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 850 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 45 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SGJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 27 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 6000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.01 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25019 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Operator |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 3 2008 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 11 2009 9:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N230ME |
| NTSB Number | NYC08LA202 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R7803312 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Conditional |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jun 1 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 926 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Mistral Engines USA, Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 1543 Chaucer Ct. |
| Aircraft Owner City | DeLand |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32724 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Mistral Engines USA Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 1543 Chaucer Ct. |
| Operator City | DeLand |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 32724 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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) | Flight Test |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | 28J |
| Departure City | Palatka |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 930 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | DED |
| Destination City | Deland |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 11 2009 9:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | grer |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 75 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |