20021123034179A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Stalwort, MI · November 23, 2002

Date: November 23, 2002 · 11:45 local
Place: Stalwort, MI
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N5985Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBCHI03LA029
Reported as: Piper PA23250

N5985YRegistration cancelled May 11, 2015 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-3158 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250 Engine 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) Pilot stated that he lost power on the left engine as it began to surging. Pilot elected not to feather engine and made a forced landing in a field causing substantial damage to the aircraft. On scene inspection revealed that the left inboard fuel tank was empty and the right inboard fuel tank was almost empty, both outboard tanks were full. When the aircraft was recovered and prior to moving the aircraft out of the field, the left engine was run using the left outboard fuel tank and a good mag check was done at 1500 RPM. No mechanical problems were found with the left engine.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT STATED THAT HE LOST POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE AS IT BEGAN TO SURGING. PILOT ELECTED NOT TO FEATHER ENGINE AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. ON SCENE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT INBOARD FUEL TANK WAS EMPTY AND THE RIGHT INBOARD FUEL TANK WAS ALMOST EMPTY, BOTH OUTBOARD TANKS WERE FULL. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED AND PRIOR TO MOVING THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE FIELD, THE LEFT ENGINE WAS RUN USING THE LEFT OUTBOARD FUEL TANK AND A GOOD MAG CHECK WAS DONE AT 1500 RPM. NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WERE FOUND WITH THE LEFT ENGINE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CHI03LA029Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportStalwart, MIThe pilot's improper fuel management during the flight and the pilot's improper decision not to select the outboard fuel tank when a loss of engine power was experienced, resulting in fuel starvation, a sustained loss of engine power, and subsequent forced…Nov 23, 2002 · Substantial damage