19990909026329A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-160 · Hillsboro, OR · September 9, 1999

Date
September 9, 1999 · 15:30 local
Place
Hillsboro, OR
Airport
Starks Twin Oaks Airpark Airport
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N4065P
NTSB investigation
NTSBSEA99LA157
Reported as
Piper PA23160
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(.19) On September 9, 1999, about 1530 pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160 apache, N4065P, registered to and operated by scholls Oaks LLC, was substantially damaged during an off-airport forced landing following a complete loss of power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 instructional flight. The private pilot student received minor injuries while the certified flight instructor was uninjured. The flight originated from stark's Twin Oaks airpark, Hillsboro, Oregon, approximately 30 minutes prior to the accident. According to the pilot's statement, water was found in the aircraft's main fuel tanks during the preflight inspection. After sumping the tanks several times, the water was believed to be removed and the pilot's departed for the flight. While maneuvering, the flight instructor intentionally failed and secured the right engine. A restart attempt of the right engine was unsuccessful, and the pilots elected to return to the airport. While turning an approximate three mile final, the aircraft's left engine failed. Approximately one quarter mile from the runway, the student initiated a left turn permitting a forced landing to an open field. While in the left turn, the aircraft contacted the terrain causing substantial damage to left wing and fuselage. A federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector from the portland, Oregon, flight standards district office, inspected the wreckage and reported there was water in the aircraft's main fuel tanks. He also stated there was water found in the carburetor bowls of both engines. (-23)during flight pilot shut down the right engine. Pilot then attempted to restart the right engine with no success. During this attempt the left engine began to lose power. Pilot elected to return to 7S3 for landing. The landing gear had to be manually extended and once down the a/c began to lose altitude to the point where a successful landing at 7S3 could not be made. Pilot attempted an emergency landing in a corn field, landing resulted in substantial damage to the a/c.

As the FAA filed it

(.19) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1999, ABOUT 1530 PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-23-160 APACHE, N4065P, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY SCHOLLS OAKS LLC, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE PRIVATE PILOT STUDENT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES WHILE THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS UNINJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM STARK'S TWIN OAKS AIRPARK, HILLSBORO, OREGON, APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, WATER WAS FOUND IN THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN FUEL TANKS DURING THE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. AFTER SUMPING THE TANKS SEVERAL TIMES, THE WATER WAS BELIEVED TO BE REMOVED AND THE PILOT'S DEPARTED FOR THE FLIGHT. WHILE MANEUVERING, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INTENTIONALLY FAILED AND SECURED THE RIGHT ENGINE. A RESTART ATTEMPT OF THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AND THE PILOTS ELECTED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT. WHILE TURNING AN APPROXIMATE THREE MILE FINAL, THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT ENGINE FAILED. APPROXIMATELY ONE QUARTER MILE FROM THE RUNWAY, THE STUDENT INITIATED A LEFT TURN PERMITTING A FORCED LANDING TO AN OPEN FIELD. WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN, THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE TERRAIN CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT WING AND FUSELAGE. A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR FROM THE PORTLAND, OREGON, FLIGHT STANDARDS DISTRICT OFFICE, INSPECTED THE WRECKAGE AND REPORTED THERE WAS WATER IN THE AIRCRAFT'S MAIN FUEL TANKS. HE ALSO STATED THERE WAS WATER FOUND IN THE CARBURETOR BOWLS OF BOTH ENGINES. (-23)DURING FLIGHT PILOT SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE. PILOT THEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE RIGHT ENGINE WITH NO SUCCESS. DURING THIS ATTEMPT THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. PILOT ELECTED TO RETURN TO 7S3 FOR LANDING. THE LANDING GEAR HAD TO BE MANUALLY EXTENDED AND ONCE DOWN THE A/C BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE TO THE POINT WHERE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING AT 7S3 COULD NOT BE MADE. PILOT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD, LANDING RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE A/C.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.