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19971031031589A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA23160 · Fitchburg, MA · October 31, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 31, 1997 · 10:15 local
Place
Fitchburg, MA
Airport
Fitchburg Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
HUBA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N3EV
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC98FA024
Reported as
Piper PA23160
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B3B
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
5,407 total22 in this make and model116 in the last 90 days
N3EVRegistration cancelled Apr 8, 1998 · Piper PA-23-150S/N 231084Airframe modelPiper PA-23-150

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.

CFI failed left engine on final. Low. Began go around gear down due pump on left engine. Below VMC. Crashed. Burned (.4) the flight was the second multi-engine training flight for the pilot trainee. On final approach the left engine was observed feathered and the landing gear was extended. With a clear runway ahead, a single engine go-around was initiated. The airplane was observed in a very shallow climb. Witnesses then saw the airplane descend in a nose down attitude and strike the ground. Investigation revealed the airplane had impacted the ground with the left engine propeller feathered, and the landing gear extended. No evidence of a machanical failure or malfunction was found with the airplane or feathered engine. A check of certification requirements for the airplane revealed it was not required to perform a single engine go-around. FAA and aopa publications cautioned against performing single engine go-arounds. The flight instructor had previously performed a single engine go-around in the same airplane, also with the left engine shut down. However, the landing gear was retracted. The student in that flight said the airplane climbed between 50 and 200 fpm.

As the FAA filed it

CFI FAILED LEFT ENGINE ON FINAL. LOW. BEGAN GO AROUND GEAR DOWN DUE PUMP ON LEFT ENGINE. BELOW VMC. CRASHED. BURNED (.4) THE FLIGHT WAS THE SECOND MULTI-ENGINE TRAINING FLIGHT FOR THE PILOT TRAINEE. ON FINAL APPROACH THE LEFT ENGINE WAS OBSERVED FEATHERED AND THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED. WITH A CLEAR RUNWAY AHEAD, A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND WAS INITIATED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED IN A VERY SHALLOW CLIMB. WITNESSES THEN SAW THE AIRPLANE DESCEND IN A NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AND STRIKE THE GROUND. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE AIRPLANE HAD IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER FEATHERED, AND THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. NO EVIDENCE OF A MACHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE OR FEATHERED ENGINE. A CHECK OF CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AIRPLANE REVEALED IT WAS NOT REQUIRED TO PERFORM A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND. FAA AND AOPA PUBLICATIONS CAUTIONED AGAINST PERFORMING SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUNDS. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD PREVIOUSLY PERFORMED A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND IN THE SAME AIRPLANE, ALSO WITH THE LEFT ENGINE SHUT DOWN. HOWEVER, THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED. THE STUDENT IN THAT FLIGHT SAID THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED BETWEEN 50 AND 200 FPM.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC98FA024Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportFitchburg, MAThe flight instructor's inadequate in-flight decision and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing was the flight instructor's failure to follow standard practices while simulating and practicing emergency…Oct 31, 1997 · Destroyed