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20020314007249I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Akron, CO · March 14, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 14, 2002 · 00:40 local
Place
Akron, CO
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N555DA
Reported as
Piper PA23250
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,500 total750 in this make and model20 in the last 90 days
N555DARegistration cancelled Jun 18, 2018 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7554139 · Built 1975Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) Prior to departure from otg-gxy, the pilot obtained wx information from greenbay flight service station. Rain was forecast as FAR south as Wyoming, but not into Colorado. At approximately 0017, it was reported that the airplane was having icing problems and may need to make an emergency landing at Washington county airport, located north of Akron, Colorado. The pilot states that he requested an altitude several times in an attempt to avoid the icing condition, but the icing persisted. He began losing altitude and requested to land. He was diverted back to Washington airport by ATC. The sheriffs responded to the airport and observed the airplane approach for landing. It was not level and traveling too fast, which is normal in these conditions. It touched down at approximately midpoint on the runway and skidded off the runway. The pilot stated that he landed the airplane by looking out of the side window as the windsheild was covered with ice. Ice was approximately 4 inches thick on the wings and thicker on the props. The damage to the wing tip and the engine cowl were minor. The aircraft taxied to the main hangar for inspection and was repaired. Pilot continued his flight the next day.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM OTG-GXY, THE PILOT OBTAINED WX INFORMATION FROM GREENBAY FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. RAIN WAS FORECAST AS FAR SOUTH AS WYOMING, BUT NOT INTO COLORADO. AT APPROXIMATELY 0017, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS HAVING ICING PROBLEMS AND MAY NEED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING AT WASHINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT, LOCATED NORTH OF AKRON, COLORADO. THE PILOT STATES THAT HE REQUESTED AN ALTITUDE SEVERAL TIMES IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE ICING CONDITION, BUT THE ICING PERSISTED. HE BEGAN LOSING ALTITUDE AND REQUESTED TO LAND. HE WAS DIVERTED BACK TO WASHINGTON AIRPORT BY ATC. THE SHERIFFS RESPONDED TO THE AIRPORT AND OBSERVED THE AIRPLANE APPROACH FOR LANDING. IT WAS NOT LEVEL AND TRAVELING TOO FAST, WHICH IS NORMAL IN THESE CONDITIONS. IT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY MIDPOINT ON THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDED OFF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LANDED THE AIRPLANE BY LOOKING OUT OF THE SIDE WINDOW AS THE WINDSHEILD WAS COVERED WITH ICE. ICE WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES THICK ON THE WINGS AND THICKER ON THE PROPS. THE DAMAGE TO THE WING TIP AND THE ENGINE COWL WERE MINOR. THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO THE MAIN HANGAR FOR INSPECTION AND WAS REPAIRED. PILOT CONTINUED HIS FLIGHT THE NEXT DAY.