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19971206037489A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-400 · Cairo, MO · December 6, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
December 6, 1997 · 09:30 local
Place
Cairo, MO
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8452P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA055
Reported as
Piper PA24400
Reported engine
Lycoming IO720A1A
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
768 total553 in this make and model15 in the last 90 days
N8452PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-400S/N 26-27Airframe modelPiper PA-24-400

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.

Exhaust leak caused pilot to pass out. Aircraft ran out of fuel then crashed. (.4) the pilot had climbed to 5,500 ft MSL & had trimmed the airplane at cruise power settings. He set the GPS navigation system for a direct flight, then engaged the autopilot & switched the fuel selector to the left auxiliary fuel tank. He remembered passing herrington, KS, at which time, he set his radios for arrival at topeka, KS. From that point, he could not remember anything else about the flight until he 'awoke' in a flat hay field near Cairo, MO. (The airplane had touched down in a wings level attitude and slid about 525 ft before hitting a fence & small trees.) When the pilot 'initially awoke,' he was confused & thought he was still airborne. Eventually, he walked to a farm house & after waiting another 1 to 1-1/2 hr, an ambulance arrived to take him to a hospital. Subsequently, blood was drawn. Toxicology tests of his blood showed 26.8% saturation with carbon monoxide. Inspection of the airplane revealed the right muffler had a crack around one of its seams, which allowed exhaust fumes into the cabin heater housing & into the cabin. The airplane had recently been taken to an airplane service center for an annual inspection. The pilot decided to fly the airplane before the annual inspection had been signed off.

As the FAA filed it

EXHAUST LEAK CAUSED PILOT TO PASS OUT. AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL THEN CRASHED. (.4) THE PILOT HAD CLIMBED TO 5,500 FT MSL & HAD TRIMMED THE AIRPLANE AT CRUISE POWER SETTINGS. HE SET THE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR A DIRECT FLIGHT, THEN ENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT & SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. HE REMEMBERED PASSING HERRINGTON, KS, AT WHICH TIME, HE SET HIS RADIOS FOR ARRIVAL AT TOPEKA, KS. FROM THAT POINT, HE COULD NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE FLIGHT UNTIL HE 'AWOKE' IN A FLAT HAY FIELD NEAR CAIRO, MO. (THE AIRPLANE HAD TOUCHED DOWN IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND SLID ABOUT 525 FT BEFORE HITTING A FENCE & SMALL TREES.) WHEN THE PILOT 'INITIALLY AWOKE,' HE WAS CONFUSED & THOUGHT HE WAS STILL AIRBORNE. EVENTUALLY, HE WALKED TO A FARM HOUSE & AFTER WAITING ANOTHER 1 TO 1-1/2 HR, AN AMBULANCE ARRIVED TO TAKE HIM TO A HOSPITAL. SUBSEQUENTLY, BLOOD WAS DRAWN. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF HIS BLOOD SHOWED 26.8% SATURATION WITH CARBON MONOXIDE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE RIGHT MUFFLER HAD A CRACK AROUND ONE OF ITS SEAMS, WHICH ALLOWED EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE CABIN HEATER HOUSING & INTO THE CABIN. THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN TO AN AIRPLANE SERVICE CENTER FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF.

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 CHI98LA055Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCairo, MOa fractured muffler, failure of the owner/pilot to ensured that the annual maintenance inspection had been completed before flight, and subsequent pilot incapacitation due to carbon monoxide poisoning.Dec 6, 1997 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8452P · 2

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

Accident 19910312009259ARoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Fall River, MALanded long on short runway. Overran runway into tall grass. Stopped by large rocks.Mar 12, 1991 · Substantial damageIncident 19780109002369IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Grain Valley, MOGear collapsed on landing. Jack screw not fully extended, cb popped. Warning horn was disconnected.Jan 9, 1978 · Minor damage