NTSB Factual Report

HISTORY OF FLIGHT

On June 24, 2017, about 0748 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA28-181, N199PA, impacted a building and terrain during a forced landing shortly after takeoff from Page Field Airport (FMY), Fort Myers, Florida. The private pilot sustained serious injuries and the pilot-rated passenger was fatally injured; the airplane was destroyed by a postimpact fire. The airplane was operated by Fort Myers Flying Club in accordance with the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was destined for Marion County Airport, Dunnellon, Florida.

The pilot stated that he conducted a normal preflight inspection of the airplane and observed no anomalies. He sampled fuel from both of the fuel tanks twice and found no water or debris. The engine start was normal with all instruments in the normal operating range, and he observed similar indications during the engine run-up. After starting the takeoff roll, he verified the engine power output, which was 2,450 rpm. The airplane lifted off the runway at 65 knots, and the pilot pitched the airplane to 5° nose up, with a goal of 80 knots airspeed. At 75 knots, he felt a loss of engine power and the indicated engine rpm started to decrease. He switched fuel tanks and applied carburetor heat, but the engine continued to lose power. The pilot decided to make a forced landing on a nearby road. He turned right to line up with the road, but the wing contacted a tree and the airplane collided with the side of a building before impacting the ground.

A member of the flying club reported that he had experienced a loss of engine power in the accident airplane about 1 month before the accident when he was going to make a short flight to Orlando. During the initial climb after takeoff, about 100 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot quickly reduced engine power further and landed straight-ahead on the remaining runway. The pilot taxied the airplane to a local maintenance facility, where maintenance personnel flushed the right and left fuel tanks, installed new fuel cap seals, drained the carburetor fuel bowl, cleaned and inspected the fuel filter, and flushed the fuel lines. They conducted a test run of the engine and found no anomalies. About 1 week later, another pilot was flying the accident airplane in cruise flight at 8,000 ft when the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was maneuvering the airplane to land at a local airport when, at 3,000 ft, the engine regained power. The pilot decided to make a precautionary landing at the closest airport and have a local maintenance inspect the airplane. The maintenance facility took fuel samples and stated they were blue and clear of debris. The intake tube was unobstructed, and the engine performed satisfactorily during ground test runs.

PERSONNEL INFORMATION

According to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. He held an FAA third-class medical certificate issued January 5, 2017. At the time of the medical examination, the pilot reported 523 total hours of flight experience. The pilot reported a total flight experience of 535 hours at the time of the accident, of which 155 hours were in the accident airplane make and model. The pilot had flown 13 and 2.7 hours during the 90-day and 30-day periods preceding the accident, respectively.

AIRCRAFT INFORMATION

The four-seat, low-wing airplane was manufactured in 1999. It was powered by a Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180-horsepower engine, equipped with a two-blade Sensenich propeller.

According to the airplane logbook, the last annual inspection was performed on June 20, 2017. At that time, the airplane had accumulated a total time of 1,847.1 hours on both the airframe and engine.

METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION

The 0753 recorded weather at FMY included wind from 100° at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, and a clear sky.

WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFROMATION

The airplane came to rest against a building across the street from the airport. The airframe was examined at the accident site, and all major components were accounted for at the scene. The engine compartment, cockpit, cabin area, empennage and the majority of both wings were consumed by post-crash fire. Flight control cable continuity was confirmed from the cockpit area to the flight control surfaces. The two-blade propeller fractured off the engine and was located in the ceiling of the building. One blade exhibited "S" bending; the other blade was fractured in several pieces. The starter ring gear, starter ring gear support, cowling, and windshield pieces were located inside the building.

The engine was moved to a hangar at FMY for further examination. The rear-mounted engine accessories were damaged in the postcrash fire. The engine initially could not be rotated by hand due to impact damage to the No. 2 cylinder. The cylinders were removed, and the crankshaft was rotated by hand. Continuity of the crankshaft to the rear accessory gears and to the camshaft was confirmed. Continuity to the valvetrain was confirmed by visual examination. The interiors of the cylinders exhibited no anomalies. The magnetos and carburetor were fire damaged and could not be inspected.

MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION

An autopsy was performed on the pilot-rated passenger by the Office of the Medical Examiner, Fort Myers, Florida. The report listed the cause of death as blunt force trauma.

Forensic toxicology was performed on specimens from the pilot-rated passenger by the FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The results were negative for drugs and carbon monoxide.

NTSB Probable Cause

A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because extensive fire damage precluded thorough examination of the engine and its associated systems.