OpenAirDocs.org

20080730849609I

Incident · Minor damage
Open the Markdown

FAA incident report · Piper PA-25-235 · Unionville, PA · July 30, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 30, 2008 · 15:30 local
Place
Unionville, PA
Airport
Keystone Gliderport
Phase of flight
Takeoff
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N4428Y
Reported as
Piper PA25235
Reported engine
Lycoming O540*
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
13,000 total200 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days
N4428YRegistered now · Piper PA-25-235S/N 25-4053Airframe modelPiper PA-25-235Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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) On July 30, 2008, a PA-25, N4428Y, registered to knauff and grove, inc., and piloted by privacy data omitted lost engine power after takeoff and landed in a field approximately mile from the departure end of runway 25 at ridge soaring Gliderport (79N). At the time of power loss the aircraft was towing a glider, which cut loose and landed uneventfully. The incident pilot reported that at approximately 150-200 feet AGL the engine quit, and that the white smoke briefly filled the cockpit. The engine restarted, and then quit again. This cycle repeated two more times. The pilot performed a forced landing, hitting a ditch in the process. The aircraft sustained minor damage to the propeller, left landing gear, and underside of the left wing. Teardown and inspection of engine revealed that a casting imperfection in the carburetor caused the float to hang up in the float bowl, resulting in insufficient fuel flow. Magnetos were weak and timing was off 5 degrees to the engine. Magnetos had in excess of 1000 hours since installation, and recommended mid-life inspection was not completed. The combination of indequate fuel flow and poorly timed ignition sequence led to engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 30, 2008, A PA-25, N4428Y, REGISTERED TO KNAUFF AND GROVE, INC., AND PILOTED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LOST ENGINE POWER AFTER TAKEOFF AND LANDED IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY MILE FROM THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 25 AT RIDGE SOARING GLIDERPORT (79N). AT THE TIME OF POWER LOSS THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWING A GLIDER, WHICH CUT LOOSE AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE INCIDENT PILOT REPORTED THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 150-200 FEET AGL THE ENGINE QUIT, AND THAT THE WHITE SMOKE BRIEFLY FILLED THE COCKPIT. THE ENGINE RESTARTED, AND THEN QUIT AGAIN. THIS CYCLE REPEATED TWO MORE TIMES. THE PILOT PERFORMED A FORCED LANDING, HITTING A DITCH IN THE PROCESS. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PROPELLER, LEFT LANDING GEAR, AND UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING. TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION OF ENGINE REVEALED THAT A CASTING IMPERFECTION IN THE CARBURETOR CAUSED THE FLOAT TO HANG UP IN THE FLOAT BOWL, RESULTING IN INSUFFICIENT FUEL FLOW. MAGNETOS WERE WEAK AND TIMING WAS OFF 5 DEGREES TO THE ENGINE. MAGNETOS HAD IN EXCESS OF 1000 HOURS SINCE INSTALLATION, AND RECOMMENDED MID-LIFE INSPECTION WAS NOT COMPLETED. THE COMBINATION OF INDEQUATE FUEL FLOW AND POORLY TIMED IGNITION SEQUENCE LED TO ENGINE FAILURE.