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19951003034379I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-32R-301 · Fisher Island, NY · October 3, 1995

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 3, 1995 · 14:00 local
Place
Fisher Island, NY
Airport
Elizabeth Field Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N9191V
Reported as
Piper PA32R301
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
385 total50 in this make and model35 in the last 90 days
N9191VRegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301S/N 3213033 · Built 1989Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: on the afternoon of 10-3-95, private pilot william nappa was flying his aircraft N9191V on an IFR flight plan from groton,CT to intended destination of isp NY. At approximately 2:00 p.m. at 4,000 ft. 1 or 2 miles north of shelter Island, NY the upper cowling came loose and blew off the aircraft. As it did it struck the windscreen and cracked it. privacy data omitted The cowling dropped into the ocean. Pilot nappa told ATC he had an emergency and was electing to make a landing at Fisher Island Elizabeth field. Pilot nappa stated he couldn't see out the front windscreen due to the oil. He was using the side windows. He called in on UNICOM that he was making emergency landing at Elizabeth field. He did circle and landed on runway 30. On landing he stomped on the brakes because he couldn't see forward. Came to a stop on the runway but did some damage to the right main gear. Mechanics examined the aircraft and observed that only half the cowling had torn away. The left half was still secured on the aircraft. They could not explain why the right side of the cowling had come loose. There were no injuries or fire in this incident.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: ON THE AFTERNOON OF 10-3-95, PRIVATE PILOT WILLIAM NAPPA WAS FLYING HIS AIRCRAFT N9191V ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN FROM GROTON,CT TO INTENDED DESTINATION OF ISP NY. AT APPROXIMATELY 2:00 P.M. AT 4,000 FT. 1 OR 2 MILES NORTH OF SHELTER ISLAND, NY THE UPPER COWLING CAME LOOSE AND BLEW OFF THE AIRCRAFT. AS IT DID IT STRUCK THE WINDSCREEN AND CRACKED IT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THE COWLING DROPPED INTO THE OCEAN. PILOT NAPPA TOLD ATC HE HAD AN EMERGENCY AND WAS ELECTING TO MAKE A LANDING AT FISHER ISLAND ELIZABETH FIELD. PILOT NAPPA STATED HE COULDN'T SEE OUT THE FRONT WINDSCREEN DUE TO THE OIL. HE WAS USING THE SIDE WINDOWS. HE CALLED IN ON UNICOM THAT HE WAS MAKING EMERGENCY LANDING AT ELIZABETH FIELD. HE DID CIRCLE AND LANDED ON RUNWAY 30. ON LANDING HE STOMPED ON THE BRAKES BECAUSE HE COULDN'T SEE FORWARD. CAME TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY BUT DID SOME DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR. MECHANICS EXAMINED THE AIRCRAFT AND OBSERVED THAT ONLY HALF THE COWLING HAD TORN AWAY. THE LEFT HALF WAS STILL SECURED ON THE AIRCRAFT. THEY COULD NOT EXPLAIN WHY THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COWLING HAD COME LOOSE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FIRE IN THIS INCIDENT.