Accident Piper PA-18-105 Special N215T,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 278963
 
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Date:Saturday 30 March 2019
Time:12:56 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic PA18 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-18-105 Special
Owner/operator:
Registration: N215T
MSN: 18-2329
Year of manufacture:1952
Total airframe hrs:4371 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-320 SERIES
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Category:Accident
Location:Copalis, Washington -   United States of America
Phase: Landing
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Poulsbo Airport, WA (PUL)
Destination airport:Copalis, WA (S16)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The pilot, who was the owner of the airplane, was conducting a personal cross-country flight to an airport that was a designated section of a sandy ocean beach. Most of the flight was conducted at an altitude of about 2,300 ft, and most of the underlying enroute terrain was inhospitable for landing. The pilot reported that, about 90 minutes into the flight, and 5 minutes after conducting a series of low altitude maneuvers and climbing to about 1,000 ft above the ground, the engine began running roughly and losing power. He said that he activated the carburetor heat, but that did not improve the situation, and he landed the airplane on a logging road in a forest clearing, during which the airplane impacted stumps and debris, resulting in substantial damage.

Examination revealed that the airplane was destroyed by fire. There was no evidence of any pre-impact failures or malfunctions. Fire and impact damage prevented determination of the pre-accident condition or functionality of any of the engine components, or of the engine itself. Temperature and dew point values from an airport located about 9.5 miles from the accident site on a graph of carburetor icing potential indicated the potential for serious icing at cruise power.

The altitude, speed, and ground track traces of the approach to the logging road, which included level-offs and speed increases, were consistent with a normal traffic pattern flown with an engine developing sufficient power for the entirety of the approach. The fact that both propeller blades were damaged, as well as their damage patterns, also indicated that the engine was developing power.

Based on the available information, the circumstances under which the pilot conducted the off-airport landing could not be determined.

Probable Cause: An off-airport landing under circumstances that could not be determined based on the available information, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: WPR19LA105
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 2 years and 9 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB WPR19LA105

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
1 April 2019 N215T Private 0 Grays Harbor County, Copalis, WA w/o

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
05-Jun-2022 13:14 ASN Update Bot Added

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