# Accident 20050306009509A: Piper PA23250, Coatesvilla, PA, March 6, 2005 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 6, 2005, 14:05 local time - Place: Coatesvilla, PA - Airport: Chester County/Carlson Airport - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Go Round (Aborted VFR) - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.9522° N, 75.8522° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9522&lon=-75.8522&mi=10 - Aircraft: N2343Z, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N2343Z-2006-09-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-23-250 (registry code 7102308, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA23250 - Reported engine: LYC IO540C4B5 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Pilot flight hours: 12,783 total, 72 in this make and model, 7 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC05FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC05FA053) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050306009509A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND APPROXIMATELY AT 1405 LOCAL EST TIME, 0.7 MILES SOUTH OF 40N (CHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT, PA) ON SUNDAY MARCH 6TH, 2005, FATALLLY INJURING BOTH OCCUPANTS AND DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT. EYEWITNESSES, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND LANCAIR PILOT ^PRIVACY DAT^ STATED A TWIN ENGINE AIRCRAFT APPROACHING RWY 29 APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 200' AGL AND WITHIN 1/8 MILE OF THE APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY. THEY OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT GO INTO A STEEP LEFT BANK. THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO REGAIN CLOSE TO LEVEL FLIGHT WHILE STILL AT OR BELOW 200' AGL. AT THAT TIME THEY LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WENT BEHIND A ROW OF TREES. THE ENGINE(S) COULD CLEARLY BE HEARD FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 SECS. THE ENGINE(S) WERE LOUD ENOUGH TO HEAR FROM THEIR POSITION ON THE AIRPORT WHICH WAS ABOUT 2500' FROM THE APPROACH END OF RWY 29. THEY THEN HEARD THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT THE TERRAIN AND WENT INTO THE FBO OFFICE AND TOLD THE RECEPTIONIST TO CALL 911 AND REPORT AN AIRCRAFT DOWN. THEY OBSERVED NO FIRE OR SMOKE AFTER IMPACT. OTHER WITNESSES SUPORT THE ABOVE STATEMENT OF HEARING ENGINE(S) RUNNING AND CONTROLLED FLIGHT. (-23 AMENDMENT) EYEWITNESSES STATED AIRCRAFT APPROACHED RWY 29 APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 200' AGL & WITHIN 1/8 MILE OF THE RWY, OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT GO INTO A STEEP LEFT BANK, APPEARED TO REGAIN CLOSE TO LEVEL FLIGHT WHILE STILL AT OR BELOW 200' AGL, LOST SIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AS IT WENT BEHIND A ROW OF TREES, ENGINE(S) COULD BE HEARD FOR ABOUT 20/30 SECS BEFORE IMPACT, NO FIRE/SMOKE OBSERVED AFTER IMPACT. OTHER WITNESSES SUPPORT THE ABOVE STATEMENT OF HEARING ENGINE(S) RUNNING AND CONTROLLED FLIGHT FROM A LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED. PIC HAD ONLY 2 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT. PILOT HAD A MEDICAL WAIVER. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD FUEL TANK HAD NO FUEL IN IT AND THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL SELECTOR WAS FOUND IN THE OFF POSITION. LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER IMPACT DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH AN INOPERABLE ENGINE WITH LITTLE OR NO PROPELLER ROTATION. LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER WAS NOT FEATHERED. EXAMINATION OF THE LT ENG & LT ENG FUEL SYSTEM INDICATED THAT ALL COMPONENTS WERE OPERATIONAL NO FUEL WAS IN THE ENGINE FUEL LINE OR COMPONENTS. AT IMPACT THE LT ENG TACHOMETER INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 350 RPM, THE RT ENG TACH INDICATED 2750 RPM. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC05FA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC05FA053), Mar 6, 2005: Piper PA-23-250 (N2343Z), Coatesville, PA, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's inadequate remedial action during an engine failure, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. A factor was the pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation to… ## Other reports on N2343Z (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 20030707030809I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030707030809I), Jul 7, 2003: Piper PA23250 (N2343Z), Coatesvilla, PA, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot was unable to lower flaps for approach & landing, and had un unsafe gear indication. Aircraft suffered a complete hydraulic system failure due to a… - [Incident 19960809030089I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960809030089I), Aug 9, 1996: Piper PA23250 (N2343Z), Middletown, PA, Minor damage. Narrative: on August 9, 1996, at 1450 hours, a Piper aztec, N2343Z, registered to chester county aviation, inc., made an emergency landing at Harrisburg… From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.