Piper PA24 N4284 accident near Cherokee, Oklahoma

Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined. Contributing to the accident was the presence of ground fog, which hindered the landing approach and resulted in the pilot inadvertently landing long and impacting a fence during the attempted go-around.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that the engine “began running very rough” while the airplane was in cruise flight about 2,500 feet mean sea level (msl). His efforts to determine the cause of the partial power loss and restore full engine power were not successful. The airport was covered in ground fog, which hindered the approach. He inadvertently landed long and attempted to execute a go-around; however, the airplane did not have sufficient power to climb and went off the end of the runway. Ground-based video depicted the airplane flying over as it neared the airport. The accompanying audio confirmed a rough running engine.

Data recovered from an onboard engine monitor appeared to be stable until about 4 minutes before the accident when several cylinder exhaust gas temperatures decreased abruptly. The fuel flow and fuel pressure parameters remained stable during this time. A postrecovery engine examination was unable to identify the cause of the partial loss of engine power. Although the audio that accompanied the witness video suggested an issue with the ignition system, the postrecovery examination was unable to identify any preaccident anomalies.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN24LA104 for the full record.