What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
PA-11, N4550M crashed into a sided pole barn adjacent to Cooperstown-wellsville airport on may 26 at approximately 8:10 pm with one pilot and one passenger aboard. No injuries were reported the aircraft was substantially damaged.
The aircraft came to rest at a point 450 feet west of the centerline of runway 2/20 off the airport property abeam the north end of tee hangars that are situated parallel to the runway, the aircraft was situated on a south east heading of approx. 125 degrees.
The left wing leading edge showed impact damage from a utility pole on the west side of county route 166 which parallels the runway also, approximately four feet from the ground the pole showed damage and paint transfer indicating contact with the wing.
The right wing entered the sided pole barn near the top of the north east corner wall of the building and was damaged from the wing tip, spar wise, inboard with the aft portion partially inside and against the building and the leading edge outside.
The left main landing gear was bent under and aft with the left main wheel and tire assembly broken off the left axel. The carburetor and air box was broken away from the engine and damaged carb heat and throttle cables were broken. Propeller had one blade bent forward slightly, opposite blade was bent aft; both showed leading edge tip damage. Four propeller ground score marks were located between the aircraft and pole. Fuel was leaking from the outboard side of fuel tank, spill pads had been place on the ground, (aircraft has single fuel tank in left wing). The damage to the left wing started just outboard the tank and ran outboard.
Pilot with one passenger departed with full fuel 17 gallons of gas onboard (17 gallon capacity on filler placard, also placard for auto gas STC) for some touch and goes and a scenic flight to the north. While in a long gentle descend, southbound, inbound back to runway 20 at K23 the passenger requested to fly over ?the lake? Meaning goodyear lake which is to the south of the airport. The pilot misunderstood his request and assumed he meant otsego lake which to the northwest of the airport. When applying power to climb and change course to good year lake the pilot noticed a ?considerable loss of power?. He applied carb heat but could not maintain altitude; he also stated he experienced ?a rotor of wind? Which he believes had a factor in his efforts to gain power. After deciding he could not make the runway he elected to then land on state route 166 at which time he crashed into building. Pilot estimates he had approximately 12 gallons of gas remaining after about a one hour flight.
Meteorological temperature and dew point data available at the time before and after the accident was applied to carb ice probability chart in FAA winter flying tips p 8740-24, learning center library. This data indicated light to serious icing probability at glide or cruise power. Four data locations were reviewed in a 50 to 60 miles radius of K23.
As the FAA filed it
PA-11, N4550M CRASHED INTO A SIDED POLE BARN ADJACENT TO COOPERSTOWN-WELLSVILLE AIRPORT ON MAY 26 AT APPROXIMATELY 8:10 PM WITH ONE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER ABOARD. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST AT A POINT 450 FEET WEST OF THE CENTERLINE OF RUNWAY 2/20 OFF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY ABEAM THE NORTH END OF TEE HANGARS THAT ARE SITUATED PARALLEL TO THE RUNWAY, THE AIRCRAFT WAS SITUATED ON A SOUTH EAST HEADING OF APPROX. 125 DEGREES.
THE LEFT WING LEADING EDGE SHOWED IMPACT DAMAGE FROM A UTILITY POLE ON THE WEST SIDE OF COUNTY ROUTE 166 WHICH PARALLELS THE RUNWAY ALSO, APPROXIMATELY FOUR FEET FROM THE GROUND THE POLE SHOWED DAMAGE AND PAINT TRANSFER INDICATING CONTACT WITH THE WING.
THE RIGHT WING ENTERED THE SIDED POLE BARN NEAR THE TOP OF THE NORTH EAST CORNER WALL OF THE BUILDING AND WAS DAMAGED FROM THE WING TIP, SPAR WISE, INBOARD WITH THE AFT PORTION PARTIALLY INSIDE AND AGAINST THE BUILDING AND THE LEADING EDGE OUTSIDE.
THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR WAS BENT UNDER AND AFT WITH THE LEFT MAIN WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY BROKEN OFF THE LEFT AXEL. THE CARBURETOR AND AIR BOX WAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE ENGINE AND DAMAGED CARB HEAT AND THROTTLE CABLES WERE BROKEN. PROPELLER HAD ONE BLADE BENT FORWARD SLIGHTLY, OPPOSITE BLADE WAS BENT AFT; BOTH SHOWED LEADING EDGE TIP DAMAGE. FOUR PROPELLER GROUND SCORE MARKS WERE LOCATED BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND POLE. FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF FUEL TANK, SPILL PADS HAD BEEN PLACE ON THE GROUND, (AIRCRAFT HAS SINGLE FUEL TANK IN LEFT WING). THE DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING STARTED JUST OUTBOARD THE TANK AND RAN OUTBOARD.
PILOT WITH ONE PASSENGER DEPARTED WITH FULL FUEL 17 GALLONS OF GAS ONBOARD (17 GALLON CAPACITY ON FILLER PLACARD, ALSO PLACARD FOR AUTO GAS STC) FOR SOME TOUCH AND GOES AND A SCENIC FLIGHT TO THE NORTH. WHILE IN A LONG GENTLE DESCEND, SOUTHBOUND, INBOUND BACK TO RUNWAY 20 AT K23 THE PASSENGER REQUESTED TO FLY OVER ?THE LAKE? MEANING GOODYEAR LAKE WHICH IS TO THE SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT MISUNDERSTOOD HIS REQUEST AND ASSUMED HE MEANT OTSEGO LAKE WHICH TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. WHEN APPLYING POWER TO CLIMB AND CHANGE COURSE TO GOOD YEAR LAKE THE PILOT NOTICED A ?CONSIDERABLE LOSS OF POWER?. HE APPLIED CARB HEAT BUT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE; HE ALSO STATED HE EXPERIENCED ?A ROTOR OF WIND? WHICH HE BELIEVES HAD A FACTOR IN HIS EFFORTS TO GAIN POWER. AFTER DECIDING HE COULD NOT MAKE THE RUNWAY HE ELECTED TO THEN LAND ON STATE ROUTE 166 AT WHICH TIME HE CRASHED INTO BUILDING. PILOT ESTIMATES HE HAD APPROXIMATELY 12 GALLONS OF GAS REMAINING AFTER ABOUT A ONE HOUR FLIGHT.
METEOROLOGICAL TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT DATA AVAILABLE AT THE TIME BEFORE AND AFTER THE ACCIDENT WAS APPLIED TO CARB ICE PROBABILITY CHART IN FAA WINTER FLYING TIPS P 8740-24, LEARNING CENTER LIBRARY. THIS DATA INDICATED LIGHT TO SERIOUS ICING PROBABILITY AT GLIDE OR CRUISE POWER. FOUR DATA LOCATIONS WERE REVIEWED IN A 50 TO 60 MILES RADIUS OF K23.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.