What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-19) On February 14, 2001, at 1230 hours PST, a Piper PA-24-250, N8286P, experienced a loss of power while attempting a go-around at the Petaluma muni airport, Petaluma, California. The airplane collided with a tree and impacted the ground 100 yards short of the runway. The airplane, owned and operated by the private pilot under the provisions of 14 CFR part 91 as a personal flight, sustained substantial damage. The pilot was not injured. Visualmeteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan had been filed. The flight departed the Petaluma airport at an unknown time and was scheduled to terminate there. An inspector from the federal aviation administration (FAA)interviewed the pilot. The pilot stated that he set up for a landing on downwind, which included reducting power and lowering the landing gear. He noted that the landing gear stopped about halfway down. He added power to go around, but did not receive a corresponding increase in power. The pilot stated that he heard the engine sputtering. The airplane collided with a tree and landed about 100 yards short of the runway. A witness to the accident reported that the propeller was windmilling and he heard the engine sputtering. The airplane was inspected on-scene by a FAA inspector. He visually inspected the fuel tanks. Each outboard fuel tank had half a tank, and the main fuel tanks were full. (-23) at approx. 1230 on 02/14/01, Mr. Conroy was on approach to the Petaluma airport (oa). As he lowered the landing gear he noticed that the instrument panel flexed forward and that the engine started to run rough. Mr. Conroy stated that he attempted to add power but the engine did not respond. Mr. Conroy then set the a/c up for best glide and continued flight to the airport. At approx. 300 yards from the end of the runway 29 he struck a tree which is about 20 feet AGL. The a/c continued flight over a street and a fence, then came to rest about 150 yards from the end of runway 29. The a/c received damage to the gear, prop, firewall, vertical stab, and fuselage. Investigation after the accident revealed that the mixture cable got entangled in the nose landing gear as it tried to extend. As the gear lowered it pulled the mixture cable out of its holder. This caused the mixture control on the engine to go to the dull lean position, shutting the engine off.
As the FAA filed it
(-19) ON FEBRUARY 14, 2001, AT 1230 HOURS PST, A PIPER PA-24-250, N8286P, EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING A GO-AROUND AT THE PETALUMA MUNI AIRPORT, PETALUMA, CALIFORNIA. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND IMPACTED THE GROUND 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PRIVATE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED. VISUALMETEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED THE PETALUMA AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN TIME AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TERMINATE THERE. AN INSPECTOR FROM THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA)INTERVIEWED THE PILOT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE SET UP FOR A LANDING ON DOWNWIND, WHICH INCLUDED REDUCTING POWER AND LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. HE NOTED THAT THE LANDING GEAR STOPPED ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN. HE ADDED POWER TO GO AROUND, BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN POWER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH A TREE AND LANDED ABOUT 100 YARDS SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. A WITNESS TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE PROPELLER WAS WINDMILLING AND HE HEARD THE ENGINE SPUTTERING. THE AIRPLANE WAS INSPECTED ON-SCENE BY A FAA INSPECTOR. HE VISUALLY INSPECTED THE FUEL TANKS. EACH OUTBOARD FUEL TANK HAD HALF A TANK, AND THE MAIN FUEL TANKS WERE FULL. (-23) AT APPROX. 1230 ON 02/14/01, MR. CONROY WAS ON APPROACH TO THE PETALUMA AIRPORT (OA). AS HE LOWERED THE LANDING GEAR HE NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLEXED FORWARD AND THAT THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH. MR. CONROY STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. MR. CONROY THEN SET THE A/C UP FOR BEST GLIDE AND CONTINUED FLIGHT TO THE AIRPORT. AT APPROX. 300 YARDS FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY 29 HE STRUCK A TREE WHICH IS ABOUT 20 FEET AGL. THE A/C CONTINUED FLIGHT OVER A STREET AND A FENCE, THEN CAME TO REST ABOUT 150 YARDS FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 29. THE A/C RECEIVED DAMAGE TO THE GEAR, PROP, FIREWALL, VERTICAL STAB, AND FUSELAGE. INVESTIGATION AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED THAT THE MIXTURE CABLE GOT ENTANGLED IN THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AS IT TRIED TO EXTEND. AS THE GEAR LOWERED IT PULLED THE MIXTURE CABLE OUT OF ITS HOLDER. THIS CAUSED THE MIXTURE CONTROL ON THE ENGINE TO GO TO THE DULL LEAN POSITION, SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N8286P · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.