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20170527005749A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-30 · Haines, AK · May 27, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 27, 2017 · 11:01 local
Place
Haines, AK
Airport
Glacier Point
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N7376Y
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR17FA108
Reported as
Piper PA-30
Reported engine
Lycoming LIO-320-BIA
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N7376YRegistration cancelled Aug 10, 2018 · Piper PA-30S/N 30-430 · Built 1964Airframe modelPiper PA-30Engine modelLycoming IO-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.

Based upon the accounts of the surviving passenger, the pilot intentionally shut down the right engine to demonstrate engine out procedures and was unable to restart the engine. Following a low approach of the runway at Glacier Point the pilot lost control of the aircraft and crashed in a nearly vertical, nose down, right wing low angle approximately 1000FT northeast from the end of the runway. Investigation of the wreckage indicated that the right engine was not producing power at the time of impact. The power lever for the right engine was towards the idle position, the propeller lever was towards the feather position, and the right cowl flap knob was in the closed position.

The gear was extended manually and flaps were not extended although the flap selector was in the down position. This indicates that there was insuccient electrical power leading up to the accident as the gear and flaps are controlled electrically, and according to the witness, the pilot was unable to turn the propeller via electrical means. A portable battery booster was found in the wreckage.

As the FAA filed it

BASED UPON THE ACCOUNTS OF THE SURVIVING PASSENGER, THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY SHUT DOWN THE RIGHT ENGINE TO DEMONSTRATE ENGINE OUT PROCEDURES AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENGINE. FOLLOWING A LOW APPROACH OF THE RUNWAY AT GLACIER POINT THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND CRASHED IN A NEARLY VERTICAL, NOSE DOWN, RIGHT WING LOW ANGLE APPROXIMATELY 1000FT NORTHEAST FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY. INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED THAT THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS NOT PRODUCING POWER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT. THE POWER LEVER FOR THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS TOWARDS THE IDLE POSITION, THE PROPELLER LEVER WAS TOWARDS THE FEATHER POSITION, AND THE RIGHT COWL FLAP KNOB WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION.

THE GEAR WAS EXTENDED MANUALLY AND FLAPS WERE NOT EXTENDED ALTHOUGH THE FLAP SELECTOR WAS IN THE DOWN POSITION. THIS INDICATES THAT THERE WAS INSUCCIENT ELECTRICAL POWER LEADING UP TO THE ACCIDENT AS THE GEAR AND FLAPS ARE CONTROLLED ELECTRICALLY, AND ACCORDING TO THE WITNESS, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE PROPELLER VIA ELECTRICAL MEANS. A PORTABLE BATTERY BOOSTER WAS FOUND IN THE WRECKAGE.

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 WPR17FA108Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportHaines, AKThe pilot's decision to turn toward the inoperative engine after conducting a low-level pass, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall at too low an altitude to recover. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to perform the flight and the engine…May 27, 2017 · Substantial damage