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20190118000279A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Beechwood, WI · January 18, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 18, 2019 · 15:10 local
Place
Beechwood, WI
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N6497P
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN19LA071
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours
200 total20 in this make and model55 in the last 90 days
N6497PRegistration cancelled May 9, 2022 · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-1617 · Built 1959Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine 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.

On January 18, 2019 a holder of private pilot certificate was pilot in command of an aircraft accident involving N6497P a 1959 Piper commanche (PA-24-250). The accident occurred aproximately 1 mile NE of Beechwood, WI (GPS coordinates are N43.605320, W88.109293) in a rolling open field. The pilot was the sole occupant onboard the VFR flight (no flight plan) from burlington municipal (kbuu), burlington, WI to oconto municipal (kocq) oconto, WI.

The pilot stated that he went to bed on January 17, 2018 at 2030 and woke up on January 18, 2018 at 0530. The pilot stated he felt good and was not taking any medication. The purpose of the flight to kbuu was to get a small oil leak and transponder concern looked at by maintenance in kbuu. He went to the kocq at approximately 1130 and preflight the aircraft. There was approximately 30 gallons of fuel on the left and 22 gallons on the right. The aircraft burns approximately 11 gallons/ hour. A weather briefing was conducted via computer and the app windy. His runup was normal and the flight to kbuu went uneventful.

After completing the maintenance the pilot preflighted the aircraft (fuel on board left 24 gallons and right 12 gallons) at approximtely 1430. A normal runup occured and the aircraft took off from kbuu for kocq. While at cruise at 3000' the pilot was reminded by his ifly app that it was time to switch tanks from left to right. While switching tanks he noticed that the carb temperature gauge was cooling and in the yellow arc and moving towards red (getting colder). At the same time he noticed that

The engine was begining to loose power and that the rpms were falling off. He pushed the propeller to

Full, the mixtrure to full rich, pulled carb heat on, switched fuel tanks, fuel pump on, and switched magnetos. He did notice that after the application of carb heat the engine roughness got worse, he then pushed carb heat back in (cold) and the engine seemed to run smoother, only to continue to loose power.

While descending the once again switched fuel tanks back to the right and applied carb heat. Once again the engine roughness returned and the aircraft had descended down to approximately 1200 feet. He had picked out 2 landing areas (a road and a field) and pitched for best glide speed of 100 mph. He noticed that there were powerlines so elected to land in the field. Since the field appeared to be rough he decided to land with the gear in the up position. First contact with the ground was light and tail low, second contact was hard and the front of the aircraft dug in causing damage to the firewall area. No post crash fire occurred and the pilot suffered minor injuries.

The pilot received his private pilot certificate on 09/11/2018. He has a 3rd class medical certificate which was received on 07/25/2017. He has logged approximately 200 hours total time, 120 hours in the last year, 55 hours in the last 90 days and 20 hours in make and model. He was signed off for complex and high performance 01/06/2019 in escanaba, mi (kesc).

As the FAA filed it

ON JANUARY 18, 2019 A HOLDER OF PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE WAS PILOT IN COMMAND OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVOLVING N6497P A 1959 PIPER COMMANCHE (PA-24-250). THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED APROXIMATELY 1 MILE NE OF BEECHWOOD, WI (GPS COORDINATES ARE N43.605320, W88.109293) IN A ROLLING OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ONBOARD THE VFR FLIGHT (NO FLIGHT PLAN) FROM BURLINGTON MUNICIPAL (KBUU), BURLINGTON, WI TO OCONTO MUNICIPAL (KOCQ) OCONTO, WI.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE WENT TO BED ON JANUARY 17, 2018 AT 2030 AND WOKE UP ON JANUARY 18, 2018 AT 0530. THE PILOT STATED HE FELT GOOD AND WAS NOT TAKING ANY MEDICATION. THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT TO KBUU WAS TO GET A SMALL OIL LEAK AND TRANSPONDER CONCERN LOOKED AT BY MAINTENANCE IN KBUU. HE WENT TO THE KOCQ AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 AND PREFLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30 GALLONS OF FUEL ON THE LEFT AND 22 GALLONS ON THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT BURNS APPROXIMATELY 11 GALLONS/ HOUR. A WEATHER BRIEFING WAS CONDUCTED VIA COMPUTER AND THE APP WINDY. HIS RUNUP WAS NORMAL AND THE FLIGHT TO KBUU WENT UNEVENTFUL.

AFTER COMPLETING THE MAINTENANCE THE PILOT PREFLIGHTED THE AIRCRAFT (FUEL ON BOARD LEFT 24 GALLONS AND RIGHT 12 GALLONS) AT APPROXIMTELY 1430. A NORMAL RUNUP OCCURED AND THE AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF FROM KBUU FOR KOCQ. WHILE AT CRUISE AT 3000' THE PILOT WAS REMINDED BY HIS IFLY APP THAT IT WAS TIME TO SWITCH TANKS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. WHILE SWITCHING TANKS HE NOTICED THAT THE CARB TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS COOLING AND IN THE YELLOW ARC AND MOVING TOWARDS RED (GETTING COLDER). AT THE SAME TIME HE NOTICED THAT

THE ENGINE WAS BEGINING TO LOOSE POWER AND THAT THE RPMS WERE FALLING OFF. HE PUSHED THE PROPELLER TO

FULL, THE MIXTRURE TO FULL RICH, PULLED CARB HEAT ON, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, FUEL PUMP ON, AND SWITCHED MAGNETOS. HE DID NOTICE THAT AFTER THE APPLICATION OF CARB HEAT THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS GOT WORSE, HE THEN PUSHED CARB HEAT BACK IN (COLD) AND THE ENGINE SEEMED TO RUN SMOOTHER, ONLY TO CONTINUE TO LOOSE POWER.

WHILE DESCENDING THE ONCE AGAIN SWITCHED FUEL TANKS BACK TO THE RIGHT AND APPLIED CARB HEAT. ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE ROUGHNESS RETURNED AND THE AIRCRAFT HAD DESCENDED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 1200 FEET. HE HAD PICKED OUT 2 LANDING AREAS (A ROAD AND A FIELD) AND PITCHED FOR BEST GLIDE SPEED OF 100 MPH. HE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE POWERLINES SO ELECTED TO LAND IN THE FIELD. SINCE THE FIELD APPEARED TO BE ROUGH HE DECIDED TO LAND WITH THE GEAR IN THE UP POSITION. FIRST CONTACT WITH THE GROUND WAS LIGHT AND TAIL LOW, SECOND CONTACT WAS HARD AND THE FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT DUG IN CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL AREA. NO POST CRASH FIRE OCCURRED AND THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES.

THE PILOT RECEIVED HIS PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE ON 09/11/2018. HE HAS A 3RD CLASS MEDICAL CERTIFICATE WHICH WAS RECEIVED ON 07/25/2017. HE HAS LOGGED APPROXIMATELY 200 HOURS TOTAL TIME, 120 HOURS IN THE LAST YEAR, 55 HOURS IN THE LAST 90 DAYS AND 20 HOURS IN MAKE AND MODEL. HE WAS SIGNED OFF FOR COMPLEX AND HIGH PERFORMANCE 01/06/2019 IN ESCANABA, MI (KESC).

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 CEN19LA071Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBeechwood, WIA partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.Jan 18, 2019 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N6497P · 1

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

Incident 20060707015549ILevel Off Touchdown · Effingham, IL(-23) N6497P, a PA-24 aircraft sustained minor damage to the propeller, and surface skin when the aircraft occupants, a certified flight instructor and the aircraft pilot/owner, were conducting a landing on runway 19 at the Effingham, Illinois airport, and…Jul 7, 2006 · Minor damage