# Accident 19991210044399A: Piper PA31350, Scottsdale, AZ, December 10, 1999 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: December 10, 1999, 18:00 local time - Place: Scottsdale, AZ - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135) - Operator: UNIA - Location: 33.6602° N, 111.8704° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.6602&lon=-111.8704&mi=10 - Aircraft: N27181, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N27181-2002-04-01) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-31-350 (registry code 7103110, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-31-350) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA31350 - Reported engine: LYC TIO540* - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 4,000 total, 26 in this make and model - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA043) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991210044399A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) PIC REPORTED THAT HE DEPARTED FLG FOR HIS DESTINATION PHX. AFTER HE HAD ENTERED PHX CLASS B AIRSPACE AT ABOUT 4000 MSL HE EXPERIENCED A POWER SURGE IN THE LEFT ENGINE AND CONTINUED NONSTOP IN SPITE OF HIS ATTEMPT TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HE DECLARED A MAYDAY AND MADE AN EMERGENCY GEAR UP LANDING IN CONSTRUCTION AREA WEST OF SCOTTSDALE AIRPORT. (.4)THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A BERM IN A CONSTRUCTION AREA AFTER MAKING AN EMERGENCY LANDING. FOLLOWING A FLIGHT OF ABOUT 1.5 HOURS AND AFTER STARTING A DESCENT, THE PILOT FELT THE LEFT ENGINE SURGE, AND SAW THE LEFT BOOST PUMP WARNING LIGHT FLASHING. THE LEFT ENGINE CONTINUED TO SURGE AND THE BOOST PUMP LIGHT REMAINED FULLY ILLUMINATED. HE CHOSE NOT TO FEATHER THE LEFT PROPELLER. HE ENGAGED BOTH EMERGENCY FUEL BOOST PUMPS AND ADVANCED THE THROTTLES AND PROPELLERS FOR BOTH ENGINES. IN THIS CONFIGURATION THE ENGINES DID NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH POWER TO SUSTAIN FLIGHT. ATC IDENTIFIED TWO NEARBY AIRPORTS FOR THE PILOT; ONE AIRPORT WAS 6 MILES AWAY AND THE OTHER WAS 2 MILES AWAY. AT 4,000 FEET AGL, THE PILOT FELT HE WOULD NOT MAKE EITHER AIRPORT. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S PUBLISHED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES, ONCE AN INO PERATIVE ENGINE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AND AN UNSUCCESSFUL ENGINE RESTART ATTEMPT IS MADE, THE PILOT SHOULD FEATHER THE PROPELLER. DURING THE RECOVERY, PERSONNEL NOTED THAT THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS WERE FULL OF FUEL. BOTH OUTBOARD TANKS WERE EMPTY; HOWEVER, FUEL WAS FOUND ON THE GROUND BY ONE OF THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR, ONCE A MONTH THE PILOT'S ARE ENCOURAGED TO BURN OUT THE FUEL IN THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS IN VFR CONDITIONS. FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT, A FUNCTIONAL CHECK WAS CONDUCTED OF THE CONTINUOUS DUTY FUEL BOOST PUMPS AND EMERGENCY FUEL BOOST PUMPS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK (POH), THE CONTINUOUS DUTY FUEL BOOST PUMP WARNING LIGHTS WILL ILLUMINATE WHEN PRESSURE TO THE SYSTEM DROPS BELOW 3 PSI OR THE BOOST PUMPS HAVE FAILED. ENGAGEMENT OF THE EMERGENCY FUEL BOOST PUMPS PROVIDES STEADY FUEL PRESSURE. THE POH FURTHER REPORTS THAT THE FUEL SYSTEM HAS RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL WARNING LIGHTS. THE FUEL FLOW WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATE TO WARN THE PILOT OF AN IMPENDING FUEL FLOW INTERRUPTION. THESE LIGHTS ARE LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE FUEL BOOST PUMP WARNING LIGHTS. IF THE FUEL LEVEL NEAR THE TANK OUTLET DROPS TO A POINT WHERE A FUEL FLOW INTERRUPTION AND POWER LOSS COULD OCCUR, A SENSING PROBE WILL ILLUMINATE ITS CORRESPONDING WARNING LIGHT. AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS INTACT AND OPERATED NORMALLY. THE CROSS FEED VALVES WERE OPERATED AND FUEL WAS OBSERVED TO FLOW TO EACH ENGINE FROM THE OPPOSITE SIDE WING FUEL TANK. NO MECHANICAL ANOMALIES WERE NOTED. ## 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 LAX00LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA043), Dec 11, 1999: Piper PA-31-350 (N27181), Scottsdale, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to follow the manufacturer's published emergency procedures for engine loss of power resulting in a forced landing in an open construction area where the airplane collided with a… ## Other reports on N27181 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19970122002209I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970122002209I), Jan 22, 1997: Piper PA31350 (N27181), Sacramento, CA, Minor damage. Narrative: on approach to mather field, CA aircraft descended below glide path to runway 22L and hit high power electric wires located on aero-jet general… 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.