# Accident 20170731020629A: Piper PA-30, Topeka, KS, July 31, 2017 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: July 31, 2017, 20:47 local time - Place: Topeka, KS - Airport: Billard Topeka - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Landing: Approach - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 39.0686° N, 95.6225° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.0686&lon=-95.6225&mi=10 - Aircraft: N22HW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N22HW-2019-10-05) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-30 (registry code 7103002, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-30) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-320 series (registry code 41509, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-320-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-30 - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-320 SERIES - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 2 - Other injuries: 0 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor - Pilot flight hours: 1,376 total, 153 in this make and model, 23 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN17FA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA297) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170731020629A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON JULY 31, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 2047 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME (CDT), THE AIRMAN, A CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, WHOM WAS PROVIDING MULTIENGINE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO A PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATED AIRMAN, WAS INVOLVED IN AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT WHILE MANEUVERING FOR LANDING ON RUNWAY 18 AT THE TOPEKA PHILIP BILLARD AIRPORT (KTOP), TOPEKA, KANSAS. PURSUANT TO A WITNESS STATEMENT OBTAINED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION, THE AIRMAN, AND PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT, WHOM WAS RECEIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A MULTIENGINE CLASS RATING, WERE OPERATING IN THE KTOP TRAFFIC PATTERN CONDUCTING SINGLE ENGINE FLIGHT OPERATIONS. IN ACCORDANCE WITH RADAR DATA OBTAINED FROM KANSAS CITY AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER, THE PIPER PA-30 TWIN COMMANCHE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON RUNWAY 18 CONDUCTING TRAFFIC PATTERN OPERATIONS. DURING THE FINAL TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 18, AND PURSUANT TO ONE WITNESS, WAS OPERATING IN A SINGLE ENGINE FLIGHT CONDITION; RADAR DATA INDICATES THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS DEVIATING RIGHT OF THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE DEPARTURE LEG, AND WAS CLIMBING AT A MINIMAL CLIMB RATE. THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED EAST, AND NORTHBOUND ONTO THE LEFT DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 18 AT APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL, BASED UPON RADAR DATA. BASED UPON RADAR DATA PROVIDED, THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO OVERSHOOT THE TURN TO FINAL; NO ADDITIONAL RADAR DATA WAS AVAILABLE. THE PA-30 IMPACTED THE GRASSY AREA IMMEDIATELY WEST OF THE RUNWAY 18 THRESHOLD, AND SUBSEQUENTLY SLID TO A STOP ON AN APPROXIMATE 270 DEGREE HEADING. A POST-ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT?S ENGINE AND PROPELLER SYSTEM PRESENTED INDICATIONS THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT POWER PRIOR TO IMPACT, WHILE THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS PRODUCING MINIMAL POWER; PROPELLER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE WAS NOT IN A FEATHERED CONDITION. SIGNIFICANT GROUND SCARRING WAS PRESENT DUE TO THE AIRCRAFT?S RELEASING OF FUEL CAUSED BY IMPACT; A POST-IMPACT FIRE DID NOT ENSUE. A POST-IMPACT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT REVEAL ANY ANOMALY THAT WOULD BE CONSTRUED AS CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ACCIDENT; FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE; BOTH THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PRIVATE PILOT RATED STUDENT WERE FATALLY INJURED. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB CEN17FA297](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA297), Aug 1, 2017: Piper PA30 (N22HW), Topeka, KS, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the pilot and flight instructor to maintain aircraft control while maneuvering in the traffic pattern. ## Other reports on N22HW (2) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20070831023759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070831023759A), Aug 31, 2007: Piper PA30 (N22HW), Lawrence, KS, Substantial damage. (-23) An ASI from the wichita FSDO stopped at hetrick air services in Lawrence, KS on 09/07/2007 to look at a CE182 they were adding to their part 135 air… - [Incident 19911106058359I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19911106058359I), Nov 6, 1991: Piper PA30 (N22HW), Wall, SD, Minor damage. Both engine failed in flight. Made a forced landing on road. Landed with gear retracted. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.