19971123034209A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Midlothian, TX · November 23, 1997

Date
November 23, 1997 · 17:00 local
Place
Midlothian, TX
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N21433
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA055
Reported as
Piper PA32RT300T
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540S1AD
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
146 total30 in this make and model28 in the last 90 days

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.

Acft eng quit, pilot made emerg landing in a field. Acft struck a tree. Midlothian, TX (.4)the aircraft was descending from 8,500 feet, when the pilot 'felt the airplane shutter and begin to sound slightly rough.' The pilot observed that the manifold pressure had dropped 'slightly,' and the fuel flow gauge dropped from '21 to 10 gph.' The pilot maintained a 'slow' descent, turned the boost pump on, and switched to a different fuel tank. There was an increase in engine manifold pressure, and the fuel flow increased to 15 gph. Smoke entered the cockpit as the airplane descended through 2,500 feet, and the pilot 'noticed flames coming from the engine cowling vents.' The pilot initiated a forced landing to a grass field. During the landing roll, the left wing struck a tree, and the airplane went through two fences, crossed a road, then came to rest in a plowed field. Examination of the engine revealed that the #2 cylinder fuel injector line had broken, and 'sprayed fuel onto the turbocharger.' Examination of the fuel injector line revealed that the separation was the result of fatigue cracking which initiated from a dam aged area on the fuel line. Airworthiness directive 93-02-05 (which required on inspection of the fuel injector fuel lines) was complied with 39 flight hours before the accident. (-23) see attached. No narrative attached.

As the FAA filed it

ACFT ENG QUIT, PILOT MADE EMERG LANDING IN A FIELD. ACFT STRUCK A TREE. MIDLOTHIAN, TX (.4)THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING FROM 8,500 FEET, WHEN THE PILOT 'FELT THE AIRPLANE SHUTTER AND BEGIN TO SOUND SLIGHTLY ROUGH.' THE PILOT OBSERVED THAT THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE HAD DROPPED 'SLIGHTLY,' AND THE FUEL FLOW GAUGE DROPPED FROM '21 TO 10 GPH.' THE PILOT MAINTAINED A 'SLOW' DESCENT, TURNED THE BOOST PUMP ON, AND SWITCHED TO A DIFFERENT FUEL TANK. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE MANIFOLD PRESSURE, AND THE FUEL FLOW INCREASED TO 15 GPH. SMOKE ENTERED THE COCKPIT AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THROUGH 2,500 FEET, AND THE PILOT 'NOTICED FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING VENTS.' THE PILOT INITIATED A FORCED LANDING TO A GRASS FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE, AND THE AIRPLANE WENT THROUGH TWO FENCES, CROSSED A ROAD, THEN CAME TO REST IN A PLOWED FIELD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #2 CYLINDER FUEL INJECTOR LINE HAD BROKEN, AND 'SPRAYED FUEL ONTO THE TURBOCHARGER.' EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL INJECTOR LINE REVEALED THAT THE SEPARATION WAS THE RESULT OF FATIGUE CRACKING WHICH INITIATED FROM A DAM AGED AREA ON THE FUEL LINE. AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 93-02-05 (WHICH REQUIRED ON INSPECTION OF THE FUEL INJECTOR FUEL LINES) WAS COMPLIED WITH 39 FLIGHT HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. (-23) SEE ATTACHED. NO NARRATIVE ATTACHED.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N21433 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.