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20130315003859A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-23-250 · Winsted, MN · March 15, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 15, 2013 · 19:15 local
Place
Winsted, MN
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6222M
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13LA201
Reported as
Piper PA-23-250
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 C4B5
People aboard
6
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
24,900 total1,700 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days
N6222MRegistration cancelled Feb 21, 2018 · Piper PA-23-250S/N 27-7754104 · Built 1977Airframe 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.

Pilot was flying from jamestown, ND. (Kjms) to buffalo, MN (kcfe). On the approach for the GPS rwy 36, he switched to the inboard fuel tanks. Shortly thereafter, the right engine surged and started to quit.

He switched back to the outboard fuel tanks and activated both fuel boost pumps. The right engine then restarted. Because he was in VFR conditions at that time, he cancelled IFR and began to visually maneuver to the kcfe airport.

During the visual maneuver, he was accumulating significant ice. According to the pilot, the aircraft deicing boots and windshield hot plate were barely able to keep up with ice removal. As he was maneuvering, the right engine quit.

He attempted to restart the engine, but was unsuccessful. The pilot then secured the engine and feathered the propeller. With the remaining engine at full power, he was not able to hold altitude.

He then chose to attempt a landing at the Winsted, MN (K10D) airport. He tried to maneuver for a downwind entry to K10D, but was losing too much altitude to make the airport. He picked a clear field in which he could make an emergency landing.

With the flaps and gear left in the up position, he made a landing in a snow covered field resulting in substantial damage to the aircraft and no injuries to the occupants.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS FLYING FROM JAMESTOWN, ND. (KJMS) TO BUFFALO, MN (KCFE). ON THE APPROACH FOR THE GPS RWY 36, HE SWITCHED TO THE INBOARD FUEL TANKS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RIGHT ENGINE SURGED AND STARTED TO QUIT.

HE SWITCHED BACK TO THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANKS AND ACTIVATED BOTH FUEL BOOST PUMPS. THE RIGHT ENGINE THEN RESTARTED. BECAUSE HE WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS AT THAT TIME, HE CANCELLED IFR AND BEGAN TO VISUALLY MANEUVER TO THE KCFE AIRPORT.

DURING THE VISUAL MANEUVER, HE WAS ACCUMULATING SIGNIFICANT ICE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, THE AIRCRAFT DEICING BOOTS AND WINDSHIELD HOT PLATE WERE BARELY ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH ICE REMOVAL. AS HE WAS MANEUVERING, THE RIGHT ENGINE QUIT.

HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT THEN SECURED THE ENGINE AND FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. WITH THE REMAINING ENGINE AT FULL POWER, HE WAS NOT ABLE TO HOLD ALTITUDE.

HE THEN CHOSE TO ATTEMPT A LANDING AT THE WINSTED, MN (K10D) AIRPORT. HE TRIED TO MANEUVER FOR A DOWNWIND ENTRY TO K10D, BUT WAS LOSING TOO MUCH ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE AIRPORT. HE PICKED A CLEAR FIELD IN WHICH HE COULD MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING.

WITH THE FLAPS AND GEAR LEFT IN THE UP POSITION, HE MADE A LANDING IN A SNOW COVERED FIELD RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND NO INJURIES TO THE OCCUPANTS.

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 CEN13LA201Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportWinsted, MNThe obstruction of the right engine’s induction air system by ice, which resulted in a loss of engine power.Mar 16, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6222M · 2

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

Incident 20130307005639ICruise/Level Flight · Lincoln, NEPilot of N6222M diverted to Lincoln (lnk) due to engine problem, landed runway 17 without incident.Mar 7, 2013 · No damageIncident 19850505075249ILevel Off Touchdown · Lansing, MILeft propeller struck the runway during crosswind landing. Pilot was unaware of strike at the time.May 5, 1985 · Minor damage