What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Acft lost power and made an emergency landing in a field. (.4) the pilot reported that aircraft electrical power was not available during the preflight inspection. The pilot reported that the engines were started utilizing a ground power unit, and that aircraft electrical power could not be restored after the ground power unit was separated from the aircraft. The pilot reported that after liftoff he could not move the gear selection lever to the 'up' position and that the left engine began to, '...surge and loose power. Reduced power on the left engine, engine continued to surge. Switched fuel selector for left engine to [the] left outboard fuel tank. Left engine continued to surge.' The pilot elected to land, straight ahead, into a field of wheat stubble. Fuel quantity present, at the post-accident inspection, for the inboard fuel tanks, was less than the unusable fuel amount as listed in the pilot's operating handbook (POH). Fuel quantity present, at the post-accident inspection, for the outboard fuel tanks, was 1-2 gallons per tank more than the POH reported unusable fuel amount. The POH states that the outboard fuel tanks are to be utilized during level flight only. All four of the fuel tanks were intact, with no apparent leaks or ruptures, and there was no evidence of a fuel spill at the accident site. According the POH, the electrical driven fuel boost pumps, '...are operated continuously and are provided to maintain fuel under pressure to the other fuel pumps....' The POH further states that the electrical driven emergency fuel pumps are utilized, '...during takeoff and landing, and for priming the engines.' According to the Piper service manual for the PA-31-350, the gear selection lever, '...cannot be moved to [the] gear up [position] while left main gear strut is compressed or with power off.' (-23) on Monday afternoon, 07/26/99, Mr. Matthew odenbrett went to Salina, Kansas airport (sln) to ferry N97MA, to his home base of mcpherson, KS (mpr). Mr. Odenbrett was to pick-up another airplane at mcpherson to begin his assigned freight runs. Distance between airports is 26.41 NM. On preflight it was discovered that there was no electrical power when the master switch was turned on, so a gpu start was accomplished. Electrical system was not used and light signals were received from the tower for take-off. Landi ng gear would not retract after take-off and left engine began to surge. Mr. Odenbrett attempted to switch to left aux. Tank and began to feather the left engine but then brought the propeller control above feather range in case the engine was developing any power. Mr. Odenbrett was unable to maintain altitude and crashed into a cut wheat field after pulling up to clear a tree line. He and his passenger required stitches for their forehead cuts. They were released the same night from a local hospital.
As the FAA filed it
ACFT LOST POWER AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD. (.4) THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL POWER WAS NOT AVAILABLE DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINES WERE STARTED UTILIZING A GROUND POWER UNIT, AND THAT AIRCRAFT ELECTRICAL POWER COULD NOT BE RESTORED AFTER THE GROUND POWER UNIT WAS SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER LIFTOFF HE COULD NOT MOVE THE GEAR SELECTION LEVER TO THE 'UP' POSITION AND THAT THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO, '...SURGE AND LOOSE POWER. REDUCED POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE, ENGINE CONTINUED TO SURGE. SWITCHED FUEL SELECTOR FOR LEFT ENGINE TO [THE] LEFT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK. LEFT ENGINE CONTINUED TO SURGE.' THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND, STRAIGHT AHEAD, INTO A FIELD OF WHEAT STUBBLE. FUEL QUANTITY PRESENT, AT THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION, FOR THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS, WAS LESS THAN THE UNUSABLE FUEL AMOUNT AS LISTED IN THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH). FUEL QUANTITY PRESENT, AT THE POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION, FOR THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS, WAS 1-2 GALLONS PER TANK MORE THAN THE POH REPORTED UNUSABLE FUEL AMOUNT. THE POH STATES THAT THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS ARE TO BE UTILIZED DURING LEVEL FLIGHT ONLY. ALL FOUR OF THE FUEL TANKS WERE INTACT, WITH NO APPARENT LEAKS OR RUPTURES, AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A FUEL SPILL AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. ACCORDING THE POH, THE ELECTRICAL DRIVEN FUEL BOOST PUMPS, '...ARE OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY AND ARE PROVIDED TO MAINTAIN FUEL UNDER PRESSURE TO THE OTHER FUEL PUMPS....' THE POH FURTHER STATES THAT THE ELECTRICAL DRIVEN EMERGENCY FUEL PUMPS ARE UTILIZED, '...DURING TAKEOFF AND LANDING, AND FOR PRIMING THE ENGINES.' ACCORDING TO THE PIPER SERVICE MANUAL FOR THE PA-31-350, THE GEAR SELECTION LEVER, '...CANNOT BE MOVED TO [THE] GEAR UP [POSITION] WHILE LEFT MAIN GEAR STRUT IS COMPRESSED OR WITH POWER OFF.' (-23) ON MONDAY AFTERNOON, 07/26/99, MR. MATTHEW ODENBRETT WENT TO SALINA, KANSAS AIRPORT (SLN) TO FERRY N97MA, TO HIS HOME BASE OF MCPHERSON, KS (MPR). MR. ODENBRETT WAS TO PICK-UP ANOTHER AIRPLANE AT MCPHERSON TO BEGIN HIS ASSIGNED FREIGHT RUNS. DISTANCE BETWEEN AIRPORTS IS 26.41 NM. ON PREFLIGHT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER WHEN THE MASTER SWITCH WAS TURNED ON, SO A GPU START WAS ACCOMPLISHED. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS NOT USED AND LIGHT SIGNALS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE TOWER FOR TAKE-OFF. LANDI NG GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT AFTER TAKE-OFF AND LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO SURGE. MR. ODENBRETT ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO LEFT AUX. TANK AND BEGAN TO FEATHER THE LEFT ENGINE BUT THEN BROUGHT THE PROPELLER CONTROL ABOVE FEATHER RANGE IN CASE THE ENGINE WAS DEVELOPING ANY POWER. MR. ODENBRETT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE AND CRASHED INTO A CUT WHEAT FIELD AFTER PULLING UP TO CLEAR A TREE LINE. HE AND HIS PASSENGER REQUIRED STITCHES FOR THEIR FOREHEAD CUTS. THEY WERE RELEASED THE SAME NIGHT FROM A LOCAL HOSPITAL.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.