What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot advised that the left engine was smoking badly and that he was feathering the propeller and returning to the arpt, the acft was cleared for visual approach and reported final, all further contact was lost, the acft crashed and was destroyed, the 2 POB suffered fatal injuries, other circumstances are unknown. (-23)on may 19, 1999, at approximately 1725 MDT, a Piper PA-23-250, N54263. Crashed 1 mile NE of the Tucumcari Municipal Airport, Tucumcari, NM (tcc). Both occupants were fatally injured. Visual meterological conditions prevailed and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The aircraft had returned to tcc after experiencing an engine problem. The pilot failed to lower the landing gear upon return to tcc and attempted a go around. File closed. (.4) approximately 5 minutes after taking off, the pilot told air traffic control that his 'left engine was smoking badly,' that he had feathered the propeller, and was returning to land. As the airplane made its approach, the pilot was advised that his landing gear was still retracted. He said he would make a go-around. Witnesses could not recall if an engine had been shut down, but they did say that there was no smoke coming from either engine. They watched the airplane bank left on base leg and descend into the ground. Examination of the propeller governors disclosed the right (not the left) propeller had been feathered. Disassembly and examination of both engines disclosed no mechanical discrepancies or failures.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT ADVISED THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS SMOKING BADLY AND THAT HE WAS FEATHERING THE PROPELLER AND RETURNING TO THE ARPT, THE ACFT WAS CLEARED FOR VISUAL APPROACH AND REPORTED FINAL, ALL FURTHER CONTACT WAS LOST, THE ACFT CRASHED AND WAS DESTROYED, THE 2 POB SUFFERED FATAL INJURIES, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (-23)ON MAY 19, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1725 MDT, A PIPER PA-23-250, N54263. CRASHED 1 MILE NE OF THE TUCUMCARI MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, TUCUMCARI, NM (TCC). BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE FATALLY INJURED. VISUAL METEROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD RETURNED TO TCC AFTER EXPERIENCING AN ENGINE PROBLEM. THE PILOT FAILED TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR UPON RETURN TO TCC AND ATTEMPTED A GO AROUND. FILE CLOSED. (.4) APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER TAKING OFF, THE PILOT TOLD AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL THAT HIS 'LEFT ENGINE WAS SMOKING BADLY,' THAT HE HAD FEATHERED THE PROPELLER, AND WAS RETURNING TO LAND. AS THE AIRPLANE MADE ITS APPROACH, THE PILOT WAS ADVISED THAT HIS LANDING GEAR WAS STILL RETRACTED. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE A GO-AROUND. WITNESSES COULD NOT RECALL IF AN ENGINE HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN, BUT THEY DID SAY THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE COMING FROM EITHER ENGINE. THEY WATCHED THE AIRPLANE BANK LEFT ON BASE LEG AND DESCEND INTO THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPELLER GOVERNORS DISCLOSED THE RIGHT (NOT THE LEFT) PROPELLER HAD BEEN FEATHERED. DISASSEMBLY AND EXAMINATION OF BOTH ENGINES DISCLOSED NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES OR FAILURES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.