# Accident 20110604009819A: Piper PA-24-250, Astoria, OR, June 4, 2011 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: June 4, 2011, 17:40 local time - Place: Astoria, OR - Airport: Astoria Regional - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 46.1369° N, 123.8744° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=46.1369&lon=-123.8744&mi=10 - Aircraft: N511FS, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N511FS-2017-04-07) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-24-250 - Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Student - Pilot flight hours: 117 total, 71 in this make and model, 27 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR11FA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA248) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110604009819A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. STUDENT PILOT IN LAST STAGES OF PRIVATE PILOT PREPARATION. HE FLEW HIS PLANNED LONG CROSS COUNTRY FOR FIRST TWO LEGS AND AT SECOND STOP DETERMINED IT WOULD BE TOO LATE TO GO ON PLANNED THIRD LEG AND THEN THE FOUTH LEG. HE THEN CALLED INSTRUCTOR WITH HIS DECISION TO RETURN TO ASTORIA, OREGON DIRECT FROM LAKE CHELAN, WASHINGTON. THE INSTRUCTOR AGREED. PART WAY BACK THE STUDENT CALLED THE INSTRUCTOR BY TELEPHONE WHILE AIRBORNE. THE STUDENT SAID HE WAS LOSING HIS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE INSTRUCTOR ADVISED HIM TO LOWER HIS GEAR BEFORE HE LOST THE ABILITY TO LOWER IT. THE PILOT ARRIVED OVER ASTORIA AT 1000 FEET, BUT HIS LANDING GEAR, WHILE PARTIALLY DOWN, DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LOCKED. THE INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PANICKED STUDENT BY PHONE TO CALM DOWN, CLIMB TO 3000 FEET AND GO THRU THE MANUAL GEAR EXTENSION PROCEDURE. THE STUDENT CIRCLED THE FIELD FOR 45 MINUTES TO AN HOUR AND FINALLY GOT THE EMERGENCY EXTENSION HANDLE LATCHED TO THE FIREWALL PER PROCEDURE. THE PILOT SAID HE "HAD IT" AND DISSAPEARED FROM VIEW BEHIND THE HANGAR. IT WAS ASSUMED HE WAS TURNING BASE, BUT THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED INSTEAD. THE ONLY WITNESS TO SEE IT IN THE AIR JUST PRIOR TO THE CRASH WAS 1/2 MILE AWAY. HE SAW THE AIRPLANE ABOUT 400 TO 500 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, NOSE DOWN IN A NEARLY VERTICAL ATTITUDE AND WITH A TWISTING ACTION. HE DID NOT HEAR ANY ENGINE NOISE AND THOUGHT THAT TO BE UNUSUAL. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED SOFT GROUND AND WAS BURIED PAST THE ENGINE FIREWALL NEARLY TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IN THE EARTH. THE PROPELLER DID NOT SHOW EVIDENCE OF BEING UNDER POWER WHEN IT STRUCK THE GROUND. THE ENGINE HAD ABOUT 85 TO 90 HOURS SINCE A MAJOR OVERHAUL, AND APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION OTHER THAN THE IMPACT DAMAGE. ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WERE DOWN AND LOCKED. ALL FUEL TANKS APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN BREACHED. NO EVEDENCE OF FUEL FOUND AT THE SCENE. THERE WAS A SMALL AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE LINES AND CARBURETOR. THE CAUSE OF THE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AND THREE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS, INCLUDING THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR AND STC'D ALTERNATOR HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENT MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER EVALUATION. ## 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 WPR11FA248](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA248), Jun 5, 2011: Piper PA-24-250 (N511FS), Astoria, OR, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The student pilot’s failure to maintain adequate airspeed while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in a stall/spin. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's distraction and anxiety from a… ## Other reports on N511FS (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19940430031079I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940430031079I), Apr 30, 1994: Piper PA24250 (N511FS), Seward, AK, Minor damage. Distracted by a radio problem. Landed gear up. 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.