20180917013769A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Upland, CA · September 17, 2018

Date: September 17, 2018 · 13:50 local
Place: Upland, CA
Airport: Upland Cable
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7472P
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR18LA268
Reported as: Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,000 total1,200 in this make and model75 in the last 90 days

N7472PRegistration cancelled Jan 21, 2021 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-2663 · Built 1961 Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

The airman and one passenger were returning to Upland Cable Airport (ccb) from reno Nevada. The airman stated that he crossed the san gabriel mountains above 11,500 ft MSL, southbound and then reduced power to idle. The airman did not use carbeuretor heat. The pilot planned his descent so that he crossed the field to join the south downwind leg for runway 24, making left traffic. He continued to descend without power, turning base and realizing that he needed to arrest his descent rate, he added power with the throttle. The engine did not respond. The airman checked the mags quickly, and soon realized that he was not going to make the runway. He landed the aircraft under control, with speed, in a field which is just east of runway 24. The wing and it's spar was damaged and deformed during the landing, and one of the main landing wheels was torn from the aircraft. There were no injuries or fatalities.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRMAN AND ONE PASSENGER WERE RETURNING TO UPLAND CABLE AIRPORT (CCB) FROM RENO NEVADA. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT HE CROSSED THE SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS ABOVE 11,500 FT MSL, SOUTHBOUND AND THEN REDUCED POWER TO IDLE. THE AIRMAN DID NOT USE CARBEURETOR HEAT. THE PILOT PLANNED HIS DESCENT SO THAT HE CROSSED THE FIELD TO JOIN THE SOUTH DOWNWIND LEG FOR RUNWAY 24, MAKING LEFT TRAFFIC. HE CONTINUED TO DESCEND WITHOUT POWER, TURNING BASE AND REALIZING THAT HE NEEDED TO ARREST HIS DESCENT RATE, HE ADDED POWER WITH THE THROTTLE. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE AIRMAN CHECKED THE MAGS QUICKLY, AND SOON REALIZED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE RUNWAY. HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT UNDER CONTROL, WITH SPEED, IN A FIELD WHICH IS JUST EAST OF RUNWAY 24. THE WING AND IT'S SPAR WAS DAMAGED AND DEFORMED DURING THE LANDING, AND ONE OF THE MAIN LANDING WHEELS WAS TORN FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES.

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 WPR18LA268Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportUpland, CALoss of engine power due to fuel contamination.Sep 17, 2018 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N7472P · 1

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

Incident 19950925041249IFcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise · St Cloud, MNNarrative: the pilot elected to make a precautionary landing to have his aircraft engine inspected. The engine exhaust gas temp was running higher than normal with full rich mixture. No emergency was declared and the aircraft landed without incident. Engine…Sep 25, 1995