# Accident 19990115000499A: Piper PA60602P, Lynchburg, VA, January 15, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: January 15, 1999, 18:00 local time - Place: Lynchburg, VA - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 37.3993° N, 79.1892° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=37.3993&lon=-79.1892&mi=10 - Aircraft: N72EZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N72EZ-2017-06-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-60-602P (registry code 7106015, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-60-602p) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60602P - Reported engine: LYC IO540AA1A - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 3,896 total, 2,106 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC99LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA049) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990115000499A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ACFT WAS ON APPROACH TO RWY 21 WHEN THE PILOT REPORTED BOTH ENGINES OUT BEFORE MAKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON ROUTE 460. OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (.19) ON JANUARY 15, 1999, ABOUT 1800 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-60-602P, N72EZ, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT LOST POWER AND IMPACTED TERRAIN WHILE ON APPROACH TO THE LYNCHBURG REGIONAL/PRESTON GLENN FIELD AIRPORT (LYH), LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA. THE CERTIFICATED PRIVATE PILOT WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE PERSONAL FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. A REVIEW OF THE AIRPLANE'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE HAD RECEIVED AN ANNUAL INSPECTION ON JANUARY 11, 1999, AT A MAINTENANCE FACILITY LOCATED AT THE LANCASTER AIRPORT (LNS), LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN FROM LNS TO LYH BY A PILOT EMPLOYED BY THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY, AND RETURNED TO THE OWNER/ACCIDENT PILOT. THE OWNER/ACCIDENT PILOT FLEW THE AIRPLANE BACK TO LNS TO DROP OFF THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY PILOT, AND THEN DEPARTED FOR LYH. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, THE AIRPLANE WAS ON APPROACH TO RUNWAY 21, WHEN THE PILOT RADIOED TO THE LYNCHBURG AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER THAT ONE OF THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINES HAD LOST POWER. ABOUT 4 MINUTES LATER, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE'S SECOND ENGINE HAD LOST POWER AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST ABOUT 4 MILES NORTHEAST OF LYH. THE AIRPLANE STRUCK TREES BEFORE IT IMPACTED A HIGHWAY, SLID THROUGH A DRAINAGE DITCH, AND COLLIDED WITH THE HIGHWAY DIVIDER. INITIAL EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE BY AN FAA INSPECTOR REVEALED THAT DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE, BOTH WINGS SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINES. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE FUEL TANK. THE WRECKAGE WAS MOVED TO A HANGAR TO BE EXAMINED FURTHER AT A LATER DATE. A CHECK OF REFUELING RECORDS REVEALED THE AIRPLANE WAS "TOPPED OFF" WITH 75 GALONS OF 100LL BEFORE THE FLIGHT TO LNS. ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANE'S FLIGHT MANUAL, THE AIRPLANE'S TOTAL USABLE FUEL CAPACITY WAS 165.5 GALLONS. THE PILOT REPORTED 3,620 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE ON HIS LAST APPLICATION FOR AN FAA THIRD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE, WHICH WAS ISSUED ON OCTOBER 1, 1998. (.4) WHILE EN ROUTE, THE PILOT NOTICED OIL STREAMING OUT OF THE AIRPLANE'S LEFT ENGINE COWLING AND SECURED THE LEFT ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM HIS DESTINATION, THE RIGHT ENGINE LOST TOTAL POWER AND THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING TO A HIGHWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE 50 MINUTES AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT BOTH WINGS WERE SEPARATED OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINES. THERE WAS NO FUEL OR ODOR OF FUEL PRESENT IN OR AROUND THE WING FUEL TANKS, AND APPROXIMATELY 1.5 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE AIRPLANE'S FUSELAGE FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS NOT COMPROMISED. EXAMINATIONS OF BOTH ENGINES REVEALED A HOLE BURNT THROUGH THE NUMBER 6 PISTON OF THE LEFT ENGINE, AND DAMAGE TO THE PISTON WAS CONSISTENT WITH DETONATION. A TEST RUN OF THE AIRPLANE'S RIGHT ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT DISCREPANCIES WHICH WOULD HAVE PRECLUDED NORMAL ENGINE OPERATION. THE AIRPLANE'S TOTAL USABLE FUEL CAPACITY WAS 165.5 GALLONS. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN FLOWN ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS SINCE IT'S LAST REFUELING, AND THE ESTIMATED FUEL USED WAS ABOUT 122.5 GALLONS. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A FUEL FLOW INDICATING SYSTEM; WHICH WHEN POWERED AFTER THE ACCIDENT INDICATED THAT 40.5 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINED, AND 124.1 GALLONS HAD BEEN USED SINCE THE LAST RE-FUELING. ## 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 NYC99LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC99LA049), Jan 15, 1999: Piper PA-60-602P (N72EZ), Lynchburg, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Fuel exhaustion for undetermined reasons. 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.