# Incident 20181019020339I: Piper PA-28-161, Pinehurst, TX, October 19, 2018

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 19, 2018, 11:00 local time
- Place: Pinehurst, TX
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.1076° N, 93.7727° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pinehurst, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.1076&lon=-93.7727&mi=10
- Aircraft: N2846A, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N2846A) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-161
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 670 total, 6 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20181019020339I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 10/19/2018 AT 1100 CDT, A PIPER PA-28-161, S/N 28-7916472, WAS CONDUCTING A 14 CFR PART 91 TRAINING FLIGHT WHEN THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON AN UNIMPROVED DIRT ROAD (30°09?53.36?N, 95°41?59.10?W) IN PINEHURST, TEXAS. THE AIRCRAFT ORIGINATED AT DAVID WAYNE HOOKS MEMORIAL AIRPORT, KDWH, AND WAS ON THE WAY BACK INTO THE AIRPORT AFTER AN APPROXIMATE 2 HOUR FLIGHT. NO AIRCRAFT DAMAGE WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING THE LANDING ON THE DIRT ROAD.

THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT INDICATED THAT HE WAS GIVING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO A STUDENT, WITH THE STUDENT FLYING INBOUND TO KDWH AT 3000?. DURING A REDUCTION OF POWER AND DESCENT TO 2000?, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED THE ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND ATTEMPTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE POWER ISSUE BY ADDING CARBURETOR HEAT AND THROTTLE ADJUSTMENT, AT WHICH TIME HE NOTICED REDUCED POWER PERFORMANCE AND INCREASED AIRFRAME VIBRATION. HE CONTACTED KDWH TOWER AND REQUESTED PRIORITY LANDING. AS THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TOWARDS KDWH THE ENGINE RPM?S CONTINUED TO DROP, SO HE TURNED THE CARBURETOR HEAT OFF, AFTER WHICH THE ENGINE EXPERIENCED TOTAL POWER LOSS. HE INFORMED KDWH TOWER THAT HE WOULD BE SETTING THE AIRCRAFT DOWN IN A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 10 NAUTICAL MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT, BUT WAS ABLE TO LAND ON THE DIRT ROAD.

THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS INDICATE THAT THE LAST AIRFRAME AND ENGINE 50 HOUR INSPECTIONS WERE COMPLETED AT HOBBS TIME: 4122.0. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT HAD ACCUMULATED APPROXIMATELY 29.1 HOURS SINCE THE LAST 50 HOUR INSPECTION. MAINTENANCE INSPECTED AND ADJUSTED THE CARBURETOR MIXTURE LINKAGE AND THE MIXTURE RICH/LEAN NEEDLE AND RAN THE ENGINE WITH SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE. THE CARBURETOR WAS INSTALLED ON 9/2/2016, AND HAD ACCUMULATED 1752 HOURS TSO PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RETURNED TO SERVICE AND FLOWN BACK TO KDWH.

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.

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