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20201011020319I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Piper PA-46-310P · Farmington, MO · October 11, 2020

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 11, 2020 · 12:35 local
Place
Farmington, MO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N315WF
Reported as
Piper PA-46-310P
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-550-C
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
5,998 total633 in this make and model210 in the last 90 days
N315WFRegistration cancelled May 23, 2026 · Piper PA-46-310PS/N 46-08050Airframe modelPiper PA-46-310PEngine modelContinental TSIO-520 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 October 11, 2020 aircraft N315WF operating under part 91, departed from klaf (purdue university airport, lafayette, Indiana) and was enroute to ktki (mckinney national airport, dallas, Texas).

Preflight, startup, taxi and takeoff proceeded normally. Aircraft climb to 14000 per flightplan, cruise checklist was completed, engine temps, vibration and power were normal.

Approximately two hours enroute and roughly abeam the fam (Farmington, MO) VOR, the engine stumbled momentarily, then approximately 30-60 seconds later it started running roughly.

The pilot stated that he examined the jpi instrument noticed the #2 cylinder exhaust gas temperature (EGT) was low and cylinder head temperature (CHT) was falling.

The pilot stated that he informed air traffic control (ATC) of the situation and sought out an alternate landing location. The pilot requested to turn back to ksus (spirit of st. louis MO airport) knowing maintenance services were provided on the airport. ATC cleared N315WF for ksus.

The pilot started a left turn to ksus but it became apparent that the airport was too FAR away. The pilot then committed to (kfam) Farmington, MO regional airport which was 35NM away.

While enroute to kfam the engine continued to produce power.

ATC declared an emergency on behalf of the pilot and cleared N315WF for a visual landing at kfam (Farmington, MO airport). Approximately 4 to 5 miles from the airport the pilot intentionally keep altitude and speed during his approach into kfam.

Approximately 3-4 miles from kfam the engine coughed once again and ceased producing power. The pilot immediately retracted the landing gear. The pilot manipulated the engine controls to see if power could be restored but nothing changed. The pilot slowed N315WF to best glide and realizing he would not make the airport.

A suitable off field landing site was located on the other side of us hwy 67. N315WF crossed the highway at approximately 50-100 AGL and made a final 40 degree alignment turn and landed with gear up, full flaps, under control and wings level. The airplane stayed intact and slid approximately 140 yards until stopping with a slight right final turn.

As the FAA filed it

ON OCTOBER 11, 2020 AIRCRAFT N315WF OPERATING UNDER PART 91, DEPARTED FROM KLAF (PURDUE UNIVERSITY AIRPORT, LAFAYETTE, INDIANA) AND WAS ENROUTE TO KTKI (MCKINNEY NATIONAL AIRPORT, DALLAS, TEXAS).

PREFLIGHT, STARTUP, TAXI AND TAKEOFF PROCEEDED NORMALLY. AIRCRAFT CLIMB TO 14000 PER FLIGHTPLAN, CRUISE CHECKLIST WAS COMPLETED, ENGINE TEMPS, VIBRATION AND POWER WERE NORMAL.

APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS ENROUTE AND ROUGHLY ABEAM THE FAM (FARMINGTON, MO) VOR, THE ENGINE STUMBLED MOMENTARILY, THEN APPROXIMATELY 30-60 SECONDS LATER IT STARTED RUNNING ROUGHLY.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE EXAMINED THE JPI INSTRUMENT NOTICED THE #2 CYLINDER EXHAUST GAS TEMPERATURE (EGT) WAS LOW AND CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE (CHT) WAS FALLING.

THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INFORMED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) OF THE SITUATION AND SOUGHT OUT AN ALTERNATE LANDING LOCATION. THE PILOT REQUESTED TO TURN BACK TO KSUS (SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS MO AIRPORT) KNOWING MAINTENANCE SERVICES WERE PROVIDED ON THE AIRPORT. ATC CLEARED N315WF FOR KSUS.

THE PILOT STARTED A LEFT TURN TO KSUS BUT IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE AIRPORT WAS TOO FAR AWAY. THE PILOT THEN COMMITTED TO (KFAM) FARMINGTON, MO REGIONAL AIRPORT WHICH WAS 35NM AWAY.

WHILE ENROUTE TO KFAM THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO PRODUCE POWER.

ATC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY ON BEHALF OF THE PILOT AND CLEARED N315WF FOR A VISUAL LANDING AT KFAM (FARMINGTON, MO AIRPORT). APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5 MILES FROM THE AIRPORT THE PILOT INTENTIONALLY KEEP ALTITUDE AND SPEED DURING HIS APPROACH INTO KFAM.

APPROXIMATELY 3-4 MILES FROM KFAM THE ENGINE COUGHED ONCE AGAIN AND CEASED PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT IMMEDIATELY RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT MANIPULATED THE ENGINE CONTROLS TO SEE IF POWER COULD BE RESTORED BUT NOTHING CHANGED. THE PILOT SLOWED N315WF TO BEST GLIDE AND REALIZING HE WOULD NOT MAKE THE AIRPORT.

A SUITABLE OFF FIELD LANDING SITE WAS LOCATED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF US HWY 67. N315WF CROSSED THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 50-100 AGL AND MADE A FINAL 40 DEGREE ALIGNMENT TURN AND LANDED WITH GEAR UP, FULL FLAPS, UNDER CONTROL AND WINGS LEVEL. THE AIRPLANE STAYED INTACT AND SLID APPROXIMATELY 140 YARDS UNTIL STOPPING WITH A SLIGHT RIGHT FINAL TURN.