# Accident 19980518009919A: Piper PA23160, Guthrie, OK, May 18, 1998 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: May 18, 1998, 18:20 local time - Place: Guthrie, OK - Airport: Guthrie Municipal Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.8405° N, 97.4193° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.8405&lon=-97.4193&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4410P, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4410P-1999-04-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-23-160 (registry code 7102304, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-160) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA23160 - Reported engine: LYC O360A1A - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 10,000 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW98FA229](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA229) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19980518009919A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT CRASHED AND BURNED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTNCES. GUTHRIE, OK (.19) ON MAY 18, 1998, AT 1820 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-23-160 MULTIENGINE AIRPLANE, N4410P, REGISTERED TO SEWARD LEASING, INC., OPERATED BY CRABTREE AVIATION, GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, AS A TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 FLIGHT, CRASHED DURING A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND AT THE GUTHRIE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED BY A POST IMPACT FIRE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT/FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WHO WAS DESIGNATED BY THE FAA AS A PILOT EXAMINER WAS CONDUCTING A COMMERCIAL MULTIENGINE CERTIFICATION FLIGHT CHECK FOR A PRIVATE PILOT. THE EXAMINER, THE PRIVATE PILOT, AND A PASSENGER RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES DURING THE POST IMPACT FIRE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM GUTHRIE AT 1800. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR AND THE PRIVATE PILOT'S FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, THE FLIGHT DEPARTED WITH THE MAIN FUEL TANKS FULL (72 GALLONS) OF 100LL AVIATION FUEL FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING THE FLIGHT PORTION OF THE PRACTICAL EXAMINATION FOR THE COMMERCIAL MULTIENGINE CERTIFICATION. THE FAA DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE) WAS SEATED IN THE RIGHT SEAT TO ADMINISTER THE FLIGHT PORTION OF THE EXAM. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD RECEIVED 20.2 HOURS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THE AIRPLANE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED THAT DURING THE PRIVATE PILOT'S TRAINING, HE HAD SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERED THE RIGHT ENGINE; HOWEVER, HE NEVER SHUT DOWN AND FEATHERED THE LEFT ENGINE DURING THE PRIVATE PILOT'S TRAINING. THE PRIVATE PILOT HAD RECEIVED GROUND INSTRUCTION ON THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES AND HAD USED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE TO EXTEND THE FLAPS DURING PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS. THE FAA RECORDS REVIEWED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE (IIC) REVEALED THAT THE DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER REPORTED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 10,000 HOURS ON HER LAST MEDICAL CERTIFICATE APPLICATION DATED JANUARY 2, 1998. THE DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE FAA TO PERFORM THE DUTIES OF PILOT EXAMINER IN THE FOLLOWING MULTIENGINE AIRCRAFT: BE-55, BE-58, CE-310, AND THE PA-23. ON MARCH 11, 1998, THE DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER RECEIVED AN FAA FLIGHT CHECK IN N4410P DURING THE ANNUAL RENEWAL OF HER EXAMINER DESIGNATION. THIS 0.9 HOUR FLIGHT INCLUDED MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE MANEUVERS, SINGLE ENGINE PROCEDURES, AND CROSS WIND LANDINGS. THE GUTHRIE POLICE CHIEF, TRAVELING SOUTHBOUND ON DIVISION STREET, OBSERVED THE BEIGE AIRPLANE DURING THE BASE TO FINAL TURN FOR RUNWAY 16. WITHIN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES, HE SAW THE SMOKE COMING FROM THE ACCIDENT SITE. OTHER WITNESSES, WHO OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE DESCENDING NEAR A CONSTRUCTION AREA ALONG INTERSTATE 35, REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE BARELY MISSED HITTING A CONSTRUCTION CRANE AND HIGH LINES BEFORE DESCENDING TOWARD THE GROUND. THESE WITNESSES OBSERVED SMOKE AND FIRE. LOCAL AUTHORITIES RESPONDED TO THE SITE. DURING A PERSONAL INTERVIEW, CONDUCTED BY THE INVESTIGATOR-IN-CHARGE, THE PRIVATE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT CHECK WAS BEING CONDUCTED AT 3,500 FEET MSL. THE EXAMINER REQUESTED THAT THE APPLICANT SHUT DOWN, FEATHER, AND THEN RESTART THE LEFT ENGINE. DURING THE RESTART PROCEDURES, THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WOULD NOT ROTATE AND THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE EXAMINER TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FOR THE RETURN FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. THE EXAMINER FLEW THE AIRPLANE AT THE SINGLE ENGINE BEST RATE-OF-CLIMB SPEED FOR A DOWNWIND ENTRY FOR RUNWAY 16 AT THE GUTHRIE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. THE PRIVATE PILOT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE; HOWEVER, ON FINAL APPROACH AT 1,700 FEET MSL, HE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO COCKPIT INDICATION (GREEN LIGHTS) THAT THE GEAR HAD EXTENDED. THE PRIVATE PILOT ADVISED THE EXAMINER THAT THERE WERE NO GREEN GEAR LIGHTS. THE EXAMINER MADE A DECISION FOR THE PRIVATE PILOT TO PERFORM THE GEAR RETRACTION PROCEDURES WHILE SHE FLEW THE AIRPLANE FOR A GO-AROUND. THE PRIVATE PILOT PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY GEAR RETRACTION PROCEDURE. THE EXAMINER FLEW THE AIRPLANE WITH THE THROTTLE FULL FORWARD FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WITH THE AIRSPEED AT THE SINGLE ENGINE BEST RATE-OF-CLIMB SPEED; HOWEVER THE AIRPLANE WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. DURING THE FORCED LANDING TO A GRASSY HILL, THE WING OF THE AIRPLANE STRUCK A TREE. THE DOOR OF THE AIRPLANE JAMMED; HOWEVER, THE PRIVATE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER KICKED THE DOOR OPENED. AN EXPLOSION AND POST IMPACT FIRE ERUPTED. THE IIC EXAMINED THE ACCIDENT SITE, ELEVATION OF 1,066 FEET, (35 DEGREES 49 MINUTES NORTH; 97 DEGREES 24 MINUTES WEST) 2 MILES SOUTH OF THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 16, AND FOUND THE WRECKAGE DISTRIBUTION PATH WAS ON A MEASURED MAGNETIC HEADING OF 210 DEGREES. THE INITIAL POINT OF IMPACT WAS A TREE WHERE PORTIONS OF THE OUTBOARD RIGHT WING AND THE GREEN NAVIGATION LIGHT LENS WERE FOUND AT THE BASE OF THE TREE. THIS TREE EXHIBITED GOUGES AND SCRAPES MEASURED AT 60 INCHES AGL. SIXTY-EIGHT FEET SOUTH OF THAT TREE, THE EMPENNAGE AND THE OUTBOARD PORTIONS OF THE LEFT WING WERE LOCATED AT THE BASE OF A TREE WITH SCRAPES AND GOUGES MEASURED 48 INCHES AGL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON A MEASURED MAGNETIC HEADING OF 145 DEGREES AT 115 FEET FROM THE INITIAL IMPACT POINT. THE NOSE AREA OF THE AIRPLANE WAS CRUSHED AFT. THE LEFT PROPELLER BLADES WERE STRAIGHT AND THE OUTBOARD TIPS OF THE RIGHT PROPELLER BLADES WERE BENT AFT. THE GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. GUTHRIE MUNICIPAL AIRPORT IS A NON-TOWERED AIRPORT WITH RUNWAYS 16/34 AND 18/36. RUNWAY 16 IS A CONCRETE SURFACED RUNWAY, 4,102 FEET LONG, AND 75 FEET WIDE. THE AIRPORT ELEVATION IS 1,068 FEET. THE TEMPERATURE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AT 90 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED AT 3,100 FEET. (.4) THE TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANE IMPACTED TREES AND TERRAIN DURING A SINGLE ENGINE GO-AROUND EXECUTED BY THE DESIGNATED PILOT EXAMINER (DPE) AFTER THE LANDING GEAR POSITION COULD NOT BE VERIFIED. DURING THE FLIGHT CHECK, THE EXAMINER HAD THE APPLICANT SHUT DOWN & FEATHER THE LEFT ENGINE, & THE ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE DPE TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE, RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT, & ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN. THE APPLICANT PERFORMED THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURES BUT THE GEAR WAS NOT DOWN & LOCKED ON FINAL APPROACH. THE DPE EXECUTED A GO-AROUND; HOWEVER, THE AIRPLANE WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE. A POST IMPACT FIRE DESTROYED THE AIRCRAFT. THE LANDING GEAR WAS FOUND IN THE RETRACTED POSITION, & THE LEFT PROPELLER WAS FOUND FEATHERED. METALLURGIST FOUND AREAS OF ELECTRICAL ARCING IN THE PART OF THE STARTER CABLE PASSING THROUGH THE WING ROOT. WHEN THE LEFT ENGINE STARTER WAS ENERGIZED USING AN EXEMPLARY CABLE, THE STARTER ROTATED THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT. DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED AT 3,100 FEET. THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER REPORTED AN AIRCRAFT CLIMB CAPABILITY OF -7 FPM WITH THE LANDING GEAR EXTENDED. (-23) THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN DURING MULTIENGINE CHECK RIDE, BUT WOULD NOT RESTART. THE LANDING GEAR WAS EXTENDED MANUALLY, AND A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING WAS ATTEMPTED TO THE GUTHRIE AIRPORT. THE PILOT ELECTED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE LANDING GEAR GREEN LIGHTS WERE NOT VISIBLE ON FINAL APPROACH. AIRCRAFT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING ONE MILE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE RIGHT WING STRUCK A TREE JUST INBOARD OF THE FUEL CELL SEVERING WING AT THAT POINT. THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. THERE WERE TWO SERIOUS INJURIES AND ONE FATAL. ## 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 FTW98FA229](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW98FA229), May 18, 1998: Piper PA-23-160 (N4410P), Guthrie, OK, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The designated pilot examiner's decision to execute a single engine go-around which exceeded the airplane's engine out climb capability in the gear down configuration. Factors were the arcing of an… 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.