# Incident 20081031850489I: Piper PA32R300, Columbus, MT, October 31, 2008

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 31, 2008, 11:30 local time
- Place: Columbus, MT
- Airport: Columbus
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6360° N, 109.2488° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Columbus, MT, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6360&lon=-109.2488&mi=10
- Aircraft: N43977, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N43977) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-300 (registry code 7103213, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,879 total, 44 in this make and model, 213 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081031850489I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON OCTOBER 31, 2008, AT 1130 MDT, A PIPER CHEROKEE LANCE PA-32R, N43977, REGISTERED TO AIR KRAFT SPRAYING INC, CRASH LANDED IN A SWAMPY AREA 1/2 MILE SOUTH OF THE COLUMBUS, MT AIRPORT, WHILE ON A LEISURE FLIGHT.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.  THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE.  THE PILOT WAS THE ONLY PERSON ONBOARD THE AIRCRAFT AND WAS NOT INJURED.  THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT TIMBER LAKE, SOUTH DAKOTA, ON OCTOBER 31, 2008, AT 0900 MDT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT APPROXIMATELY 6500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH.  THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND AT COLUMBUS, MT 6S3.  ON SHORT FINAL THE PILOT COULD NOT POSTIVELY IDENTIFY THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS RETRACTED BECAUSE THE SUN WAS SHINING ON THE GEAR EXTENDED LIGHTS THROUGH THE SIDE WINDOW, EFFECTIVELY WASHING THEM OUT.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A GO-AROUND BUT, THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING AND FORCED THE PILOT TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT.  THE AIRCRAFT LANDED APPROXIMATELY 1/2 MILE PAST THE END OF THE RUNWAY IN A SWAMPY AREA.  THE PRIMARY CASUAL FACTOR AS THE FUEL INJECTOR PLUG THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE FUEL SERVO ASSEMBLY CAUSING THE ENGINE TO RUN LEAN AND LOSE POWER.

## Other reports on N43977 (2)

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

- [Incident 19930501018239I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19930501018239I), May 1, 1993: Piper PA32R300 (N43977), Syracuse, NY. Unsafe landing gear light. Diverted to Syracuse. Landed then departed. Found nose gear damage on landing at batavia
- [Incident 19900303011449I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900303011449I), Mar 3, 1990: Piper PA32R300 (N43977), Rochester, NY. Odor of smoke in cockpit on climb. Returned. Found cleaning solvent around exhaust stack of cabin heat muff.

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.

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