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20050818022529A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Smoketown, PA · August 18, 2005

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
August 18, 2005 · 17:15 local
Place
Smoketown, PA
Airport
Smoketown Airport
Phase of flight
Forced/Precautionary Landing
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N40504
NTSB investigation
NTSBIAD05LA123
Reported as
Piper PA23250
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540C4B5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
2,370 total199 in this make and model156 in the last 90 days
N40504Registration cancelled May 8, 2015 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7405235 · Built 1973Airframe modelPiper PA-23-250Engine 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) The aircraft departed runway 28 at Smoketown Airport. At approximately 100' AGL the aircraft lost power. The CFI privacy data omitted took the controls and checked the instruments and switch positions. Both pilots stated all switch positions looked normal. Both pilots said the aircraft would not climb and that the airspeed continued to deteriorate towards the red line. The CFI raised the gear trying to get the aircraft to climb. With the airspeed decreasing the CFI nosed the aircraft over to keep the aircraft from stalling, and looked for a place to land. The CFI turned the aircraft to an open area, contacted corn in a corn field, skidded sideways across a homeowners front yard and came to rest on a street in a housing development. There were no injuries to the flight crew or residents on the ground. A field inspection found no cause for the loss of power. The suspected failed engine (the left engine), as indicated by the pilots, was tested in the field and ran successfully. The engine made takeoff power with no degradation noted. The fuel caps were not adjusted properly, and could be lifted out of the tank after the tabs had been secured. No definitive cause for the loss of power was found.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 28 AT SMOKETOWN AIRPORT. AT APPROXIMATELY 100' AGL THE AIRCRAFT LOST POWER. THE CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ TOOK THE CONTROLS AND CHECKED THE INSTRUMENTS AND SWITCH POSITIONS. BOTH PILOTS STATED ALL SWITCH POSITIONS LOOKED NORMAL. BOTH PILOTS SAID THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT CLIMB AND THAT THE AIRSPEED CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE TOWARDS THE RED LINE. THE CFI RAISED THE GEAR TRYING TO GET THE AIRCRAFT TO CLIMB. WITH THE AIRSPEED DECREASING THE CFI NOSED THE AIRCRAFT OVER TO KEEP THE AIRCRAFT FROM STALLING, AND LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO LAND. THE CFI TURNED THE AIRCRAFT TO AN OPEN AREA, CONTACTED CORN IN A CORN FIELD, SKIDDED SIDEWAYS ACROSS A HOMEOWNERS FRONT YARD AND CAME TO REST ON A STREET IN A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE FLIGHT CREW OR RESIDENTS ON THE GROUND. A FIELD INSPECTION FOUND NO CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER. THE SUSPECTED FAILED ENGINE (THE LEFT ENGINE), AS INDICATED BY THE PILOTS, WAS TESTED IN THE FIELD AND RAN SUCCESSFULLY. THE ENGINE MADE TAKEOFF POWER WITH NO DEGRADATION NOTED. THE FUEL CAPS WERE NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY, AND COULD BE LIFTED OUT OF THE TANK AFTER THE TABS HAD BEEN SECURED. NO DEFINITIVE CAUSE FOR THE LOSS OF POWER WAS FOUND.

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 IAD05LA123Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSmoketown, PAA loss of engine power during the climb for undetermined reasons, resulting in a forced landing.Aug 18, 2005 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N40504 · 2

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19900728045609IForced/Precautionary Landing · Teterboro, NJCockpit door opened after departure. Returned. Landed without incident.Jul 28, 1990Incident 19840531035169ILevel Off Touchdown · Collegeville, PALanded gear up after being forced to goaround due to traffic.May 31, 1984 · Minor damage