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19980223001679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Peoria, IL · February 23, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 23, 1998 · 08:15 local
Place
Peoria, IL
Airport
Greater Peoria
Phase of flight
Go Round (Aborted VFR)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
QGKA
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N54231
NTSB investigation
NTSBCHI98LA097
Reported as
Piper PA23250
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,700 total125 in this make and model190 in the last 90 days
N54231Registration cancelled Nov 30, 2007 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7554025 · Built 1974Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Left engine overheated after departure. Shutdown. Feathered. Pumped gear down. Not aligned. Stall mush onto taxiway (.4)the pilot said his left engine was overheating during a climb to cruise altitude at which time he determined that he left the cowl plugs in the engine's cowl opening. The pilot shut the engine down and returned to the airport. During the instrument approach the pilot attempted to extend the landing gear and flaps. While on a 1-mile final approach the tower advised the pilot to go- around because the landing gear wasn't fully extended. The pilot said the airplane was past mid-field before he applied power to go-around. He said the airplane continued to descend prior to entering a stall/mush. The airplane collided with a taxiway and slid onto a grass area. The on-scene investigation revealed no anomalies with the normal and emergency hydraulic systems. The CO2-operated emergency landing gear extension system was capable of functioning. It had not been used. The flaps were found in the full 'down' position. (-23) this was an air carrier flight conducted under 14 CFR part 135. The intended destination was moline, IL. Prior to departure, the pilot failed to remove the two foam plugs that were installed in the air intakes of the left engine. After departure during climb out, the pilot noted the left engine cylinder head temperature exceeding operational limits. The pilot turned back toward Peoria, IL, and feathered the overheated engine. The landing gear in this airplane is operated by hydraulic pressure driven by a pump on the left engine. When the pilot realized the landing gear was not extended, he used the emergency hydraulic pump. He failed to extend the landing gear prior to allowing the airplane to contact the ground. The airplane contacted the ground with the landing gear partially extended. Note: this airplane is also equipped with a secondary emergency landing gear extension system that incorporates a CO2 bottle and all that is required to use it is to pull a two inch metal ring to descharge the bottle and the landing gear is immediately down and locked.

As the FAA filed it

LEFT ENGINE OVERHEATED AFTER DEPARTURE. SHUTDOWN. FEATHERED. PUMPED GEAR DOWN. NOT ALIGNED. STALL MUSH ONTO TAXIWAY (.4)THE PILOT SAID HIS LEFT ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING DURING A CLIMB TO CRUISE ALTITUDE AT WHICH TIME HE DETERMINED THAT HE LEFT THE COWL PLUGS IN THE ENGINE'S COWL OPENING. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT. DURING THE INSTRUMENT APPROACH THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR AND FLAPS. WHILE ON A 1-MILE FINAL APPROACH THE TOWER ADVISED THE PILOT TO GO- AROUND BECAUSE THE LANDING GEAR WASN'T FULLY EXTENDED. THE PILOT SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS PAST MID-FIELD BEFORE HE APPLIED POWER TO GO-AROUND. HE SAID THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO DESCEND PRIOR TO ENTERING A STALL/MUSH. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TAXIWAY AND SLID ONTO A GRASS AREA. THE ON-SCENE INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO ANOMALIES WITH THE NORMAL AND EMERGENCY HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS. THE CO2-OPERATED EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM WAS CAPABLE OF FUNCTIONING. IT HAD NOT BEEN USED. THE FLAPS WERE FOUND IN THE FULL 'DOWN' POSITION. (-23) THIS WAS AN AIR CARRIER FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 135. THE INTENDED DESTINATION WAS MOLINE, IL. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE, THE PILOT FAILED TO REMOVE THE TWO FOAM PLUGS THAT WERE INSTALLED IN THE AIR INTAKES OF THE LEFT ENGINE. AFTER DEPARTURE DURING CLIMB OUT, THE PILOT NOTED THE LEFT ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE EXCEEDING OPERATIONAL LIMITS. THE PILOT TURNED BACK TOWARD PEORIA, IL, AND FEATHERED THE OVERHEATED ENGINE. THE LANDING GEAR IN THIS AIRPLANE IS OPERATED BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE DRIVEN BY A PUMP ON THE LEFT ENGINE. WHEN THE PILOT REALIZED THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED, HE USED THE EMERGENCY HYDRAULIC PUMP. HE FAILED TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO ALLOWING THE AIRPLANE TO CONTACT THE GROUND. THE AIRPLANE CONTACTED THE GROUND WITH THE LANDING GEAR PARTIALLY EXTENDED. NOTE: THIS AIRPLANE IS ALSO EQUIPPED WITH A SECONDARY EMERGENCY LANDING GEAR EXTENSION SYSTEM THAT INCORPORATES A CO2 BOTTLE AND ALL THAT IS REQUIRED TO USE IT IS TO PULL A TWO INCH METAL RING TO DESCHARGE THE BOTTLE AND THE LANDING GEAR IS IMMEDIATELY DOWN AND LOCKED.

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 CHI98LA097Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPeoria, ILan improper preflight inspection of the airplane by the pilot and the inadvertant stall/mush which was encountered. A factor associated with this accident was the pilot's decision to continue to use the emergency hydraulic hand pump rather than the CO2 bottle…Feb 23, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N54231 · 3

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

Incident 20070612825789ILevel Off Touchdown · Neenah, WI(-23) On June 12, 2007 at approximately 0740 cdlt the pilot of a Piper aztec, PA-23-250, did not lower the landing gear and struck the props while attempting a landing at Brennand field, Neenah, WI. The pilot executed a go-around and landed at osh, oshkosh…Jun 12, 2007 · Minor damageIncident 20060112021029IGround Taxi, Other Airplane · Marquette, MI(-23) This FAR part 135 incident occurred at 0720 EDT on January 12, 2006. The pilot had an unsafe gear indication at wakasaw but indication cleared up on taxi, he took off and landed at Marquette (saw) with a nose gear unsafe light. On landing runway 1,…Jan 12, 2006 · Minor damageIncident 20030512010099IFinal Approach · Anoka, MN(-23) During approach, leading edge of left wing hit ducks causing minor damge to 1 rib and approximately 2O inches wide on the leading edge of wing.May 12, 2003 · Minor damage