Piper PA28 N7261F

Summary

On 21 November 2022 at about 18:05 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N7261F, operated by Commonwealth Aviation, was involved in an accident near Manassas, Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 November 2022 at 18:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Manassas, Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Manassas Regional (HEF)

Coordinates

38.7127, -77.5063

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N7261F

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Commonwealth Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA23LA068

1 person was seriously injured.

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot and flight instructor were performing touch-and-go landings, and the airplane was on the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern when the engine lost total power. The flight instructor reported he heard a loud noise come from the engine before the power loss. The student pilot reported that he heard the engine sputter before the power loss. The flight instructor turned back to the airport, but the airplane could not glide to the runway. He landed the airplane hard in a grassy area, which resulted in substantial damage to the wings. An examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of pre-impact mechanical anomalies. Although there was a potential for carburetor icing at glide and cruise engine power settings given the reported temperature and dew point conditions, the engine was reportedly operating at full power when the power loss occurred. Thus, it is unlikely that the loss of engine power was due to carburetor icing. The investigation could not determine the reason for the loss of engine power based on the available evidence.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.