20130518010789A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-161 · Oskaloosa, IA · May 18, 2013

Date: May 18, 2013 · 12:40 local
Place: Oskaloosa, IA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N47539
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13LA287
Reported as: Piper PA-28-161
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320-D3G
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,790 total200 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N47539Registration cancelled Jul 11, 2016 · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-7816093 · Built 1977 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Following departure from the Washington municipal airport, Washington, Iowa, during cruise flight the engine began to lose power. The pilot switched fuel tanks, turned on the fuel pump, checked to ensure primer was locked, and applied carb heat. The engine continued to lose power and an emergency landing was made onto a cornfield. As the pilot began to flare the aircraft for landing the stall warning horn sounded followed by impact with the terrain. The right main landing gear and nose wheel were separated as a result of the impact and the left main landing gear had collapsed. Approach to the cornfield was from the west, and aircraft came to rest upright facing south.

As the FAA filed it

FOLLOWING DEPARTURE FROM THE WASHINGTON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT, WASHINGTON, IOWA, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP, CHECKED TO ENSURE PRIMER WAS LOCKED, AND APPLIED CARB HEAT. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE ONTO A CORNFIELD. AS THE PILOT BEGAN TO FLARE THE AIRCRAFT FOR LANDING THE STALL WARNING HORN SOUNDED FOLLOWED BY IMPACT WITH THE TERRAIN. THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR AND NOSE WHEEL WERE SEPARATED AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT AND THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. APPROACH TO THE CORNFIELD WAS FROM THE WEST, AND AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST UPRIGHT FACING SOUTH.

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 CEN13LA287Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportOskaloosa, IAThe loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the engine examination did not reveal any malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.May 18, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N47539 · 1

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

Accident 20090816016459AApproach · Washington, IA(-23) The pilot departed Washington Municipal Airport (awg) on a local flight to inspect his farm fields. He was the only occupant of the aircraft. After approximately a 30 minute flight, the pilot was returning to the airport when the engine quit running.…Aug 16, 2009 · Substantial damage