N32435

On September 2. 2024, about 1530 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140 airplane, N32435, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near the East Troy Municipal Airport (57C), East Troy, Wisconsin. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that prior to the accident flight he performed pre-flight and pre-takeoff checks using the checklists in the airplane owner’s handbook, with no deficiencies noted. He stated that he took off using the left fuel tank and proceed to the east of 57C where he practiced maneuvers to familiarize himself with the airplane. During this time, he switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank. He stated that he noticed small changes in the fuel pressure reading, about 1 psi variation, but was not concerned because it remained in the normal operating range of 0.5 – 8 psi. After about an hour of flight, he returned to 57C and performed a full-stop landing on runway 8. After taxiing back for another takeoff, he checked all of the engine gauges, including fuel pressure with and without the auxiliary electric pump activated. He noticed that the fuel pressure was about 1 psi lower with the auxiliary pump turned off but still within the normal operating range. He performed the pre-takeoff checks and switched back to the left (fullest) fuel tank, and proceeded to take off. During the initial climb he noticed that the fuel pressure reading was dropping but there was insufficient runway remaining to abort the takeoff. As the climb continued, the fuel pressure varied between 0 and 4 psi and the engine was surging. He leveled the airplane and verified that the auxiliary electric fuel pump was on. Unable to maintain altitude, he selected a corn field and landed the airplane. The airplane incurred substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and engine mount.