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20210329004679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-140 · Yacolt, WA · March 29, 2021

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 29, 2021 · 16:47 local
Place
Yacolt, WA
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N665FL
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR21LA151
Reported as
Piper PA-28-140
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
19,427 total500 in this make and model11 in the last 90 days
N665FLRegistration cancelled Aug 23, 2023 · Piper PA-28-140S/N 28-7125587 · Built 1971Airframe modelPiper PA-28-140Engine modelLycoming 0-320 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.

Correction to 8020-9. Aircraft is a PA-28.

During a personal flight from bdn to tiw, N665FL, a PA-28, started to experience engine trouble. According to the pilot, during cruise flight in IMC, the engine started to run rough as possibly having a cylinder failure. The pilot states that he could not maintain sustained cruise flight and was starting a descent. The pilot verified the fuel was on and placed the mixture to full rich. He pulled carb heat a couple times but that did not correct the issue. All attempts to get the engine to respond were unsuccessful. After the pilot broke out of the clouds, he pointed the aircraft to the least forested area that he could see. He set the aircraft up in a controlled descent and prepared for a landing into the trees. He slowed the aircraft down to just above stall speed and upon contact with the trees, the aircraft stopped forward motion and fell to the ground. The aircraft came to rest in an approximate 45 degree angle upside-down. The pilot and passenger were able to egress the aircraft. There was no post crash fire and the occupants did not sustain any injuries.

As the FAA filed it

CORRECTION TO 8020-9. AIRCRAFT IS A PA-28.

DURING A PERSONAL FLIGHT FROM BDN TO TIW, N665FL, A PA-28, STARTED TO EXPERIENCE ENGINE TROUBLE. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, DURING CRUISE FLIGHT IN IMC, THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AS POSSIBLY HAVING A CYLINDER FAILURE. THE PILOT STATES THAT HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN SUSTAINED CRUISE FLIGHT AND WAS STARTING A DESCENT. THE PILOT VERIFIED THE FUEL WAS ON AND PLACED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH. HE PULLED CARB HEAT A COUPLE TIMES BUT THAT DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. ALL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE ENGINE TO RESPOND WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER THE PILOT BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, HE POINTED THE AIRCRAFT TO THE LEAST FORESTED AREA THAT HE COULD SEE. HE SET THE AIRCRAFT UP IN A CONTROLLED DESCENT AND PREPARED FOR A LANDING INTO THE TREES. HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT DOWN TO JUST ABOVE STALL SPEED AND UPON CONTACT WITH THE TREES, THE AIRCRAFT STOPPED FORWARD MOTION AND FELL TO THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST IN AN APPROXIMATE 45 DEGREE ANGLE UPSIDE-DOWN. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ABLE TO EGRESS THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE AND THE OCCUPANTS DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES.

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 WPR21LA151Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportYacolt, WAA partial loss of power caused by carbon build up in the cylinders, which prevented the exhaust valves from seating properly. Contributing to the accident was flying in moderate icing conditions which resulted in reduced aircraft performance and vibrations.Mar 29, 2021 · Substantial damage