Piper PA-28R-201T N230ME

Summary

On 3 June 2008 at about 13:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N230ME, operated by Mistral Engines USA Inc., was involved in an accident near Palatka, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

3 June 2008 at 13:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Palatka, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Palatka Municipal Airport (28J)

Coordinates

29.6586, -81.6889

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N230ME

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Mistral Engines USA Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Palatka → Deland

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC08LA202

1 person had minor injuries.

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.