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Incident
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-34-200T · San Jose, CA · June 5, 2000

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
June 5, 2000 · 14:37 local
Place
San Jose, CA
Airport
San Jose International
Phase of flight
To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
WNHA
Aircraft
N32936
Reported as
Piper PA34200T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO360*
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,250 total400 in this make and model250 in the last 90 days
N32936Registration cancelled Jul 1, 2009 · Piper PA-34-200TS/N 34-7570067 · Built 1975Airframe modelPiper PA-34-200TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 seriesReciprocating

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.

(-23)The pilot stated the aircraft departed San Jose, California on a FAR part 135 flight with two paasengers on board. One minute after rotation, he said the tower reported the aircraft was trainling smoke behind the left engine. The pilot stated the left engine slowly lost power, and he initiated an immediate return to San Jose airport. He stated the engine continued to lose power during climb to pattern altitude. He said that when engine power deteriorated to 1000 RPM, he performed engine shutdown. The aircraft landed with the engine shutdown, and propeller feather. Because smoke had been reported, the pilot said he elected to secure the aircraft and evacuate passengers after exiting the runway. The aircraft was towed to parking. The aircraft was not damaged. No actual fire or injuries occurred. Cause of the power loss was later determined to be a clogged fuel injector resulting in excessively rich nixture provided to remaining cylinders. The rich mixture apparently caused vapor trail from the left engine. This completes the investigation and this matter is closed.

As the FAA filed it

(-23)THE PILOT STATED THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA ON A FAR PART 135 FLIGHT WITH TWO PAASENGERS ON BOARD. ONE MINUTE AFTER ROTATION, HE SAID THE TOWER REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRAINLING SMOKE BEHIND THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT STATED THE LEFT ENGINE SLOWLY LOST POWER, AND HE INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE RETURN TO SAN JOSE AIRPORT. HE STATED THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER DURING CLIMB TO PATTERN ALTITUDE. HE SAID THAT WHEN ENGINE POWER DETERIORATED TO 1000 RPM, HE PERFORMED ENGINE SHUTDOWN. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED WITH THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN, AND PROPELLER FEATHER. BECAUSE SMOKE HAD BEEN REPORTED, THE PILOT SAID HE ELECTED TO SECURE THE AIRCRAFT AND EVACUATE PASSENGERS AFTER EXITING THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO PARKING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT DAMAGED. NO ACTUAL FIRE OR INJURIES OCCURRED. CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE A CLOGGED FUEL INJECTOR RESULTING IN EXCESSIVELY RICH NIXTURE PROVIDED TO REMAINING CYLINDERS. THE RICH MIXTURE APPARENTLY CAUSED VAPOR TRAIL FROM THE LEFT ENGINE. THIS COMPLETES THE INVESTIGATION AND THIS MATTER IS CLOSED.