Accident Piper PA-32R-301 N8036D,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295505
 
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Date:Friday 18 July 2003
Time:16:50 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic P32R model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Piper PA-32R-301
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N8036D
MSN: 32R8213021
Total airframe hrs:2216 hours
Engine model:Lycoming IO-540
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Logan, Utah -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Private
Departure airport:Logan-Cache Airport, UT (LGU/KLGU)
Destination airport:Logan-Cache Airport, UT (LGU/KLGU)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
According to the pilot's statement, he arrived at Logan at 1830. When he checked the weather, the temperature was 90 degrees and the calculated density altitude was approximately 7,000 feet. There was no wind, but an airport employee suggested using runway 35. Although the pilot had some difficulty starting the engine, all pre take-off checks were normal, and the airplane ran fine. During the taxi to runway 35, the pilot noticed that the wind was from 050 degrees at 15 knots, and he elected to use runway 17. The pilot stated that he leaned the mixture to 2,200 rpm, accelerated to 80 knots, and rotated. Following rotation, the airplane continued to accelerate, but would only climb approximately 20 to 25 feet above the runway. The pilot adjusted the mixture and attempted to add more power but the engine would not respond. With no runway remaining, he continued on the departure heading and made a forced landing in a field just past the end of the runway. An examination of the airplane's systems revealed that the airplane was full of fuel, the throttle was at idol, the mixture was lean, the propeller was at high rpm, and the flaps were in the retracted position. Although the landing gear selector lever was in the "up" position, the ground scars at the initial impact point, and the damage to the landing gear, were consistent with the landing gear being in the extended position. An examination of the engine revealed that all the spark plugs were worn in a "football" shape. The shielding was exposed on the number 5 cylinder's bottom spark plug wire. A "small hole, approximate size of a pencil tip" was located on the manifold pressure tube for the number 5 cylinder. The propeller pitch control was found full forward and in contact with the pedestal stop prior to the governor stop, which would "restrict its travel to full rpm by 1/8 inch. With the engine and controls in this condition, it would not be possible for the engine to make the take-off rpm of 2,700.


Probable Cause: the loss of engine power due to partial mechanical failure, which resulted in a forced landing. Contributing factors include the pilot's improper preflight planning/preparation, the improper rigging of the propeller governor control, the high density altitude conditions, and the tailwind.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: DEN03LA134
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 8 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB DEN03LA134

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
13-Oct-2022 09:20 ASN Update Bot Added

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