What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 20, 2018 at approximately 12:30 a.m. eastern standard time (0430 universal time) a Piper pa 22-108 colt, N5581Z, impacted terrain after the aircraft experienced a loss of electrical power followed by an engine failure during cruise flight in the jackson-washington state forest located south of Brownstown, Indiana. The student pilot was the sole occupant, and sustained no injuries in the crash. The aircraft was destroyed by the collision with trees during descent and ground impact. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 code of federal regulations part 91 as a personal flight. Night marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The student pilot stated he did not file a flight plan. The flight was enroute from the indianapolis regional airport to the crossville Tennessee airport, crossville, Tennessee at the time of the accident.
The student pilot stated he was west of columbus, Indiana navigating around the military operation areas at 2600 feet mean sea level when he experienced a loss of electrical power followed by an engine failure. After experiencing the loss of electrical power and engine failure, the student stated he cycled the master switch from the ?spare fuse? Position, then momentarily to the ?off? Position and up to the ?main fuse? Position. (The pilot?s normal operation procedure is to have the master switch in the ?spare fuse? Position.) Selecting the ?main fuse? Position did not restore electrical power to the aircraft systems. He attempted to restart the engine by placing the magneto switch to the ?off? Position, and cycled through the magneto switch to the ?start? Position to engage the starter. He stated the engine did not start so he cycled the master switch back to the ?spare fuse? Position to attempt another unsuccessful engine start. Electrical power was not restored in the ?spare fuse? Switch position.
The student pilot stated prior to the electrical failure, the navigation lights, strobe light, landing and taxi lights, cockpit lighting and panel lights were on. The aircraft?s electrical power sources come from a 24-volt DC (direct current) battery and a DC generator protected by a 25 amp circuit breaker. Prior to the engine failure, the power setting was 2250 rpms (75% power), the mixture control was pulled out about one inch, and one half to three fourths of carburetor heat had been applied.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 20, 2018 AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 A.M. EASTERN STANDARD TIME (0430 UNIVERSAL TIME) A PIPER PA 22-108 COLT, N5581Z, IMPACTED TERRAIN AFTER THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER FOLLOWED BY AN ENGINE FAILURE DURING CRUISE FLIGHT IN THE JACKSON-WASHINGTON STATE FOREST LOCATED SOUTH OF BROWNSTOWN, INDIANA. THE STUDENT PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT, AND SUSTAINED NO INJURIES IN THE CRASH. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED BY THE COLLISION WITH TREES DURING DESCENT AND GROUND IMPACT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT. NIGHT MARGINAL VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE DID NOT FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. THE FLIGHT WAS ENROUTE FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS REGIONAL AIRPORT TO THE CROSSVILLE TENNESSEE AIRPORT, CROSSVILLE, TENNESSEE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
THE STUDENT PILOT STATED HE WAS WEST OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA NAVIGATING AROUND THE MILITARY OPERATION AREAS AT 2600 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER FOLLOWED BY AN ENGINE FAILURE. AFTER EXPERIENCING THE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENGINE FAILURE, THE STUDENT STATED HE CYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH FROM THE ?SPARE FUSE? POSITION, THEN MOMENTARILY TO THE ?OFF? POSITION AND UP TO THE ?MAIN FUSE? POSITION. (THE PILOT?S NORMAL OPERATION PROCEDURE IS TO HAVE THE MASTER SWITCH IN THE ?SPARE FUSE? POSITION.) SELECTING THE ?MAIN FUSE? POSITION DID NOT RESTORE ELECTRICAL POWER TO THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS. HE ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE ENGINE BY PLACING THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO THE ?OFF? POSITION, AND CYCLED THROUGH THE MAGNETO SWITCH TO THE ?START? POSITION TO ENGAGE THE STARTER. HE STATED THE ENGINE DID NOT START SO HE CYCLED THE MASTER SWITCH BACK TO THE ?SPARE FUSE? POSITION TO ATTEMPT ANOTHER UNSUCCESSFUL ENGINE START. ELECTRICAL POWER WAS NOT RESTORED IN THE ?SPARE FUSE? SWITCH POSITION.
THE STUDENT PILOT STATED PRIOR TO THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, THE NAVIGATION LIGHTS, STROBE LIGHT, LANDING AND TAXI LIGHTS, COCKPIT LIGHTING AND PANEL LIGHTS WERE ON. THE AIRCRAFT?S ELECTRICAL POWER SOURCES COME FROM A 24-VOLT DC (DIRECT CURRENT) BATTERY AND A DC GENERATOR PROTECTED BY A 25 AMP CIRCUIT BREAKER. PRIOR TO THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE POWER SETTING WAS 2250 RPMS (75% POWER), THE MIXTURE CONTROL WAS PULLED OUT ABOUT ONE INCH, AND ONE HALF TO THREE FOURTHS OF CARBURETOR HEAT HAD BEEN APPLIED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.