# Accident 19971009031169A: Piper PA23250, Charlotte, MI, October 9, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 9, 1997, 10:17 local time
- Place: Charlotte, MI
- Airport: Fitch Beach Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.5606° N, 84.8303° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.5606&lon=-84.8303&mi=10
- Aircraft: N54738, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54738-1999-01-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250
- Reported engine: LYC TIO540*
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 7,236 total, 55 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA011) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971009031169A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ACFT EXP DUAL ENG FAILURE IN FLIGHT AND MADE EMG GEAR UP LANDING IN FIELD, CHARLOTTE, MI. (.4)THE LEFT-SEAT PILOT STATED THAT BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE FUEL SELECTORS FOR BOTH ENGINES WERE SET TO THE 'INBOARD' DETENTS. THE COWL FLAP SELECTORS, LOCATED FORWARD OF THE FUEL SELECTORS ON THE SAME FLOOR MOUNTED CONSOLE, WERE BOTH SET TO THE 'OPEN' POSITIONS. AT APPROXIMATELY 1200-1300 FEET AGL, THE CO-PILOT BEGAN TO TRANSITION THE AIRCRAFT FROM CLIMB TO CRUISE, AND INITIATED ACTION TO CLOSE THE COWL FLAPS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, BOTH ENGINES LOST TOTAL POWER SIMULTANEOUSLY. IN ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENGINES, THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TRIED VARYING THE POWER LEVEL POSITIONS, ADJUSTING THE MIXTURE CONTROL, AND TURNING THE FUEL PUMPS ON AND OFF. HE DECIDED TO INITIATE A FORCED LANDING IN A SOYBEAN FIELD. DURING THE SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET FROM THE END OF THE FIELD. THE AIRPLANE SLID ACROSS THE BEAN FIELD, COLLIDED WITH TREES, AND CAME TO REST. EXAMINATION OF THE COCKPIT REVEALED BOTH FUEL SELECTORS TO BE IN THE MIDDLE POSITION, INDICATING 'OFF.'  THE COWL FLAP SELECTORS WERE BOTH IN THE FULL                                                             UP AND AFT POSITION, INDICATING 'OPEN'. BOTH PILOTS STATED THAT THE COWL FLAP SELECTORS WERE STE TO THE 'OPEN' POSISTION DURING TAKEOFF AND CLIMB.  THE CO-PILOT STATED THAT HE MOVED THE COWL FLAP SELECTORS TO THE MIDDLE, OR 'TRAIL' POSITION, SHORTLY BEFORE BOTH ENGINES FAILED.  NEITHER PILOT REMEMBERED TOUCHING THE FUEL ELECTORS AT ANY TIME AFTER TAKEOFF.                 (-23) THE PILOTS DEPARTED THE AIRPORT FOR THE PURPOSE OF A SALES DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT.  APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE AZTEC LEVELED OFF AT 1,000 AGL.  THE FLYING PILOT CLOSED THE COWL FLAPS AND BOTH ENGINES SIMULTANEOUSLY FAILED.  BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL SELECTORS WERE IN THE OFF POSITION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CHI98LA011](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA011), Oct 9, 1997: Piper PA-23-250 (N54738), Charlotte, MI, substantial damage. Probable cause: improper positioning of the fuel selector by the second pilot, which resulted in fuel starvation; inadequate supervision by the pilot-in-command; and failure of the flight crew to follow the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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