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20020628017169I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-32RT-300 · Watsonville, CA · June 28, 2002

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 28, 2002 · 13:05 local
Place
Watsonville, CA
Airport
Watsonville Municipal Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N82EB
Reported as
Piper PA32RT300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1G5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,202 total1,400 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N82EBRegistered now · Piper PA-32RT-300S/N 32R-7985028 · Built 1978Airframe modelPiper PA-32RT-300Engine modelLycoming IO-540 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) Pilot of aircraft N82EB provided the following statement. On 06-28-2002 at approximately 1302 hrs PDT my son blake and I departed Watsonville, California municipal airport (wvi) after a normal run-up. We departed runway 20 with full power and turned left for a 45 degree departure to the south. We were passing through 900 ft. when I started to pull the power back to cruise climb settings. At that point the engine lost all power. After establishing a glide and performing the restart procedures with no success I spotted a large field to my right, extended the landing gear and set up for landing. We touched down at approximately 1310 hrs PDT in the soft lettuce field and rolled almost to a complete stop. It was at this point that the left landing gear folded to the rear and the wing dropped. Fortunately the only damage was to the flap and landing gear. The cause of the loss of engine power has not been determined but is still being investigated. No injuries were sustained by the pilot or passenger. This aircraft was operated under CFR 14 part 91 and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the incident.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT OF AIRCRAFT N82EB PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT. ON 06-28-2002 AT APPROXIMATELY 1302 HRS PDT MY SON BLAKE AND I DEPARTED WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (WVI) AFTER A NORMAL RUN-UP. WE DEPARTED RUNWAY 20 WITH FULL POWER AND TURNED LEFT FOR A 45 DEGREE DEPARTURE TO THE SOUTH. WE WERE PASSING THROUGH 900 FT. WHEN I STARTED TO PULL THE POWER BACK TO CRUISE CLIMB SETTINGS. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER. AFTER ESTABLISHING A GLIDE AND PERFORMING THE RESTART PROCEDURES WITH NO SUCCESS I SPOTTED A LARGE FIELD TO MY RIGHT, EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR AND SET UP FOR LANDING. WE TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROXIMATELY 1310 HRS PDT IN THE SOFT LETTUCE FIELD AND ROLLED ALMOST TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR FOLDED TO THE REAR AND THE WING DROPPED. FORTUNATELY THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS TO THE FLAP AND LANDING GEAR. THE CAUSE OF THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED BUT IS STILL BEING INVESTIGATED. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED BY THE PILOT OR PASSENGER. THIS AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATED UNDER CFR 14 PART 91 AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.