20210715020129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-23 · Easton, MD · July 15, 2021

Date: July 15, 2021 · 11:45 local
Place: Easton, MD
Airport: Easton/Newnam Field
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N776MC
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA21LA289
Reported as: Piper PA-23
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,302 total

N776MCRegistered now · Piper PA-23S/N 23-1078 · Built 1957 Airframe modelPiper PA-23 Engine 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.

During a multiengine training flight the student was doing a power off stall. He noticed that the throttle control felt odd. He said it was like it was on a bungee. The instructor tried the maneuver and agreed, but continued the training flight and had the student repeat the maneuver. During the recovery, while still below VMC, the left engine feathered and stopped running. The instructor took control and did a VMC recovery. Subsequently the right seat latch failed and he was unable to push the rudder and had to move the seat and do another VMC recovery. He made an emergency landing in a corn field. When the aircraft was examined after landing the right prop was also feathered.

The gear collapse during the emergency landing in a fully grown cornfield resulted in damage to the left wing spar and the forward fuselage bulkhead.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A MULTIENGINE TRAINING FLIGHT THE STUDENT WAS DOING A POWER OFF STALL. HE NOTICED THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL FELT ODD. HE SAID IT WAS LIKE IT WAS ON A BUNGEE. THE INSTRUCTOR TRIED THE MANEUVER AND AGREED, BUT CONTINUED THE TRAINING FLIGHT AND HAD THE STUDENT REPEAT THE MANEUVER. DURING THE RECOVERY, WHILE STILL BELOW VMC, THE LEFT ENGINE FEATHERED AND STOPPED RUNNING. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK CONTROL AND DID A VMC RECOVERY. SUBSEQUENTLY THE RIGHT SEAT LATCH FAILED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO PUSH THE RUDDER AND HAD TO MOVE THE SEAT AND DO ANOTHER VMC RECOVERY. HE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXAMINED AFTER LANDING THE RIGHT PROP WAS ALSO FEATHERED.

THE GEAR COLLAPSE DURING THE EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FULLY GROWN CORNFIELD RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT WING SPAR AND THE FORWARD FUSELAGE BULKHEAD.

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 ERA21LA289Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportEaston, MDA total loss of left engine power and uncommanded feathering of the left propeller for reasons that could not be determined.Jul 15, 2021 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N776MC · 1

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

Incident 20200922016379ILanding: Approach · Easton, MDOn September 22, 2020 at approximately 1517 local time at Easton Airport (kesn) Easton, MD, the pilot of N776MC was acting as PIC and flight instructor of a PA-23 aircraft when he failed to insure that the landing gear was lowered prior to landing on runway…Sep 22, 2020 · Minor damage