20090319047099I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Stuart, FL · March 19, 2009

Date: March 19, 2009 · 13:00 local
Place: Stuart, FL
Airport: Witham Field
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N654MD
Reported as: Piper PA-23-250
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N654MDRegistered now · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7754018 · Built 1976 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.

On March 19, 2009, aircraft registration number N654MD, Piper PA-23-250, departed Stuart, Florida (ksua) with a destination of great harbour cay, bahama islands (mybg). During descent to destination mybg, pilot experienced loss of power of left engine. Pilot initiated single engine procedures and established satisfactory performance parameters of the aircraft. Pilot notified miami center of the situation. Due to inclement weather, clearance was given for pilot to return aircraft back to point of departure, Stuart, Florida. Pilot accomplished a single engine landing without further incident. During teardown of engine, it was discovered that left engine experienced an in-flight component failure of the crankshaft.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 19, 2009, AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION NUMBER N654MD, PIPER PA-23-250, DEPARTED STUART, FLORIDA (KSUA) WITH A DESTINATION OF GREAT HARBOUR CAY, BAHAMA ISLANDS (MYBG). DURING DESCENT TO DESTINATION MYBG, PILOT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF POWER OF LEFT ENGINE. PILOT INITIATED SINGLE ENGINE PROCEDURES AND ESTABLISHED SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF THE AIRCRAFT. PILOT NOTIFIED MIAMI CENTER OF THE SITUATION. DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, CLEARANCE WAS GIVEN FOR PILOT TO RETURN AIRCRAFT BACK TO POINT OF DEPARTURE, STUART, FLORIDA. PILOT ACCOMPLISHED A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. DURING TEARDOWN OF ENGINE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT LEFT ENGINE EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLIGHT COMPONENT FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT.