20200702008519I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32R-301T · Cut Off, LA · July 2, 2020

Date: July 2, 2020 · 08:10 local
Place: Cut Off, LA
Airport: South Lafourche Leonard Miller
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: No damage
Aircraft: N321MA
Reported as: Piper PA-32R-301T
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 392 total323 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N321MARegistered now · Piper PA-32R-301TS/N 3257311 · Built 2002 Airframe modelPiper PA-32R-301T Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Pilot and mechanic were performing engine cylinder break in due to replacement during annual inspection. During return to departure airport the engine started running rough. The pilot switched the fuel selector to the left tank. Engine would idle but would sputter when the throttle was advanced. Aircraft was descending under partial power and pilot determined he was unable to make it to the airport. Emergency radio calls were made and pilot performed an emergency landing on a state highway approximately 3 miles nnw of the airport. Aircraft was undamaged and aircrew uninjured.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND MECHANIC WERE PERFORMING ENGINE CYLINDER BREAK IN DUE TO REPLACEMENT DURING ANNUAL INSPECTION. DURING RETURN TO DEPARTURE AIRPORT THE ENGINE STARTED RUNNING ROUGH. THE PILOT SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT TANK. ENGINE WOULD IDLE BUT WOULD SPUTTER WHEN THE THROTTLE WAS ADVANCED. AIRCRAFT WAS DESCENDING UNDER PARTIAL POWER AND PILOT DETERMINED HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT. EMERGENCY RADIO CALLS WERE MADE AND PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A STATE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES NNW OF THE AIRPORT. AIRCRAFT WAS UNDAMAGED AND AIRCREW UNINJURED.