20150519007509A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-22 · St Charles, MO · May 19, 2015

Date: May 19, 2015 · 18:30 local
Place: St Charles, MO
Airport: St Charles County Smartt
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N118U
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN15LA237
Reported as: Piper PA-22
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-320 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 256 total209 in this make and model3 in the last 90 days

N118URegistered now · Piper PA-22S/N 22-3988 Airframe modelPiper PA-22 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.

Pilot was on left base to the airport with boost pump and carb heat on. Upon entering base he applied power to enter final and there was no engine response. He cycled boost pump, turned off carb heat and again tried the throttle, but engine remained at idle. Aircraft landed short of the runway, hitting a ditch, resulting in collapse of right main landing gear, and damaged gear mounting structure.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS ON LEFT BASE TO THE AIRPORT WITH BOOST PUMP AND CARB HEAT ON. UPON ENTERING BASE HE APPLIED POWER TO ENTER FINAL AND THERE WAS NO ENGINE RESPONSE. HE CYCLED BOOST PUMP, TURNED OFF CARB HEAT AND AGAIN TRIED THE THROTTLE, BUT ENGINE REMAINED AT IDLE. AIRCRAFT LANDED SHORT OF THE RUNWAY, HITTING A DITCH, RESULTING IN COLLAPSE OF RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR, AND DAMAGED GEAR MOUNTING STRUCTURE.

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 CEN15LA237Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSt. Charles, MOA loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.May 19, 2015 · Substantial damage