N8392C

On May 22, 1997, at 1745 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-151, N8392C, collided with trees several hundred feet north of the departure end of runway 03 at the Johnson Airport in Sophia, North Carolina. The business flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot was not injured. The flight departed Hickory, North Carolina, at 1700.

According to the pilot, while flying at 3000 feet enroute to Raleigh, North Carolina, the engine RPM dropped from 2200 to approximately 700. Since level flight could not be maintained, the pilot selected a nearby private airstrip and attempted an emergency landing. The pilot said that the airplane bounced as it touched down on the sod runway, and he noticed an increase in engine rpm. The pilot also stated that he realized that he could not get the airplane down before the end of the runway, and decided to go around. The airplane climbed to the height of the trees, before it settled into the trees.

Examination of the airplane disclosed that electrical tape was lodged in the carburetor induction system. The engine examination also disclosed that someone had wrapped black electrical tape around the flexible duct material between the induction air filter and the carburetor. A review of the aircraft maintenance logs failed to disclose when or who performed the repair on the air duct. A review of approved aircraft maintenance procedures failed to disclose a repair procedure that would allow the use of electrical tape to repair the air duct. A review of normal aircraft performance data disclosed that approximately 600 feet of ground roll is needed for a landing; approximately 1,200 feet of runway is needed to land over a 50 foot obstacle. The pilot reported that the sod runway was 2,070 feet long.