20020628017829I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-150 · Lancaster, PA · June 28, 2002

Date: June 28, 2002 · 13:00 local
Place: Lancaster, PA
Airport: Lancaster
Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N1258P
Reported as: Piper PA23150
Reported engine: Lycoming O320B3B
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,100 total600 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N1258PRegistration cancelled Apr 7, 2017 · Piper PA-23-150S/N 23-284 · Built 1955 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-150 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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 that prior to departing pne, he sumped the fuel tanks and noted water. He drained until clear. Uneventful flight to Lancaster Airport. After topping the fuel tanks in Lancaster, the pilot stated he noted a lot more water in the sump samples. He continued to drain until clear fuel was obtained. Takeoff was normal, attained an altitude of 200' and airspeed of 110 KTS. When the right engine quit. Still had plenty of runway left and elected to land on the same runway. He then lowered the gear which did not completely lock down prior to making contact with the runway. The left gear locked down, the right main, and the nose gear retracted. The aircraft was hoisted and the right gear locked down. The nose gear drag link was broken and had to be secured in the down position. We then initiated an engine start which started immediately and ran smooth with no abnormalities noted. Suspect ingestion of water into right engine fuel system caused the engine to fail.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PILOT STATED THAT PRIOR TO DEPARTING PNE, HE SUMPED THE FUEL TANKS AND NOTED WATER. HE DRAINED UNTIL CLEAR. UNEVENTFUL FLIGHT TO LANCASTER AIRPORT. AFTER TOPPING THE FUEL TANKS IN LANCASTER, THE PILOT STATED HE NOTED A LOT MORE WATER IN THE SUMP SAMPLES. HE CONTINUED TO DRAIN UNTIL CLEAR FUEL WAS OBTAINED. TAKEOFF WAS NORMAL, ATTAINED AN ALTITUDE OF 200' AND AIRSPEED OF 110 KTS. WHEN THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT. STILL HAD PLENTY OF RUNWAY LEFT AND ELECTED TO LAND ON THE SAME RUNWAY. HE THEN LOWERED THE GEAR WHICH DID NOT COMPLETELY LOCK DOWN PRIOR TO MAKING CONTACT WITH THE RUNWAY. THE LEFT GEAR LOCKED DOWN, THE RIGHT MAIN, AND THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOISTED AND THE RIGHT GEAR LOCKED DOWN. THE NOSE GEAR DRAG LINK WAS BROKEN AND HAD TO BE SECURED IN THE DOWN POSITION. WE THEN INITIATED AN ENGINE START WHICH STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND RAN SMOOTH WITH NO ABNORMALITIES NOTED. SUSPECT INGESTION OF WATER INTO RIGHT ENGINE FUEL SYSTEM CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL.