Piper PA-28-161 N864LM

Summary

On 30 August 2021 at about 12:19 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N864LM, operated by Airborne Systems Inc., was involved in an accident near Grant-Valkaria, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 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

30 August 2021 at 12:19

Classification

Accident

Location

Grant-Valkaria, Florida, United States

Coordinates

27.9398, -80.8601

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N864LM

Category

Airplane

Year built

1985

Engines

1

Operator

Airborne Systems Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merritt Island → Marco Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA21LA349

2 people had minor injuries.

A total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the preflight, departure, and climb phases of the flight were normal and uneventful. She leveled off at 7,500 feet mean sea level and began to lean the mixture. While leaning, the engine rpm dropped below 1,000. She responded by increasing the mixture to full rich and applying full throttle; however, the engine did not respond. The airplane began to lose altitude rapidly and she tried to restart the engine to no avail. She declared an emergency and was unable to glide to a nearby airport, so she force-landed the airplane in a farm field. The airplane collided with a fence and a ditch before coming to a stop, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.