# Accident 19980223001679A: Piper PA23250, Peoria, IL, February 23, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: February 23, 1998, 08:15 local time - Place: Peoria, IL - Airport: Greater Peoria - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: QGKA - Location: 40.6306° N, 89.6900° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6306&lon=-89.6900&mi=10 - Aircraft: N54231, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N54231-2007-11-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250 - Reported engine: LYC IO540* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,700 total, 125 in this make and model, 190 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA097) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980223001679A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## 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 CHI98LA097](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA097), Feb 23, 1998: Piper PA-23-250 (N54231), Peoria, IL, substantial damage. Probable cause: an 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… ## Other reports on N54231 (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20070612825789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070612825789I), Jun 12, 2007: Piper PA23250 (N54231), Neenah, WI, Minor damage. (-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… - [Incident 20060112021029I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060112021029I), Jan 12, 2006: Piper PA23250 (N54231), Marquette, MI, Minor damage. (-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… - [Incident 20030512010099I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030512010099I), May 12, 2003: Piper PA23250 (N54231), Anoka, MN, Minor damage. (-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. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.