ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 45750
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| Date: | Sunday 9 September 2001 |
| Time: | 19:11 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-150 Apache |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N2268P |
| MSN: | 23-878 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1957 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4379 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Chico Municipal Airport (CIC/KCIC), Chico, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Chico Airport, CA (CIC/KCIC) |
| Chico Airport, CA (CIC/KCIC) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On September 9, 2001, at 1911 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-23-150, N2268P, experienced a partial loss of engine power during takeoff from the Chico Municipal Airport, Chico, California. The airplane impacted terrain on airport property and collided with a berm. Thereafter, a fire erupted, which destroyed the airplane. The commercial certificated pilot owned and operated the airplane, and he was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight was performed under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. At the time of the accident, the planned local area personal flight was originating, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witnesses observed the airplane climb a maximum of 200 feet above the runway during its initial climb, and then it descended in a right wing low attitude until impacting the level ground short of the airport's perimeter fence. A fire erupted and consumed the airplane. Before the pilot succumbed to his injuries he reported to the responding medical personnel that "my engine failed and I was trying to turn around." The subsequent airframe examination revealed that the wings were fire damaged in areas corresponding to both the inboard and the outboard fuel tanks, and the fuel selectors were on the main tank positions. The landing gear was extended, and the rudder trim tab was set to a position consistent with a right engine power failure. No evidence of any internal engine mechanical malfunction was observed. The left propeller blades were torsionally twisted and gouged; the right blades sustained only minor damage. The pilot was an airframe and powerplant mechanic, had performed the maintenance on his airplane, and was its only pilot. He last flew the airplane about 3.5 months prior to the accident, and this was the first flight following maintenance. No logbook records were found that identified the maintenance performed. The cause of the right engine's nonmechanical loss of power was not determined. Given the prevailing meteorological conditions and the airplane's weight, performance data indicates that the airplane should have had a positive climb rate upon feathering the right engine's propeller blades and retraction of the landing gear.
Probable Cause: The loss of right engine power for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft due to his improper single engine emergency procedures.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20010920X01974&key=1
Location
Images:
Photos: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Dec-2017 12:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 29-Oct-2019 18:27 | Uli Elch | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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