20211126018749I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Covington, TN · November 26, 2021

Date
November 26, 2021 · 13:00 local
Place
Covington, TN
Airport
Covington Municipal
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N7323P
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

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 Friday November 26 2021 N7323P departing from mdq (huntsville, AL) at 1103 am CST on a return flight to M04 (Covington, TN). According to the pilot?s statement shortly after starting decent into M04 the aircraft lost engine power, the pilot then switched from left inboard fuel tank to the right inboard tank, the engine never recovered. The pilot then performed the emergency landing checklist and landed the aircraft in a field 1,500 feet north east of the airfield runway adjacent to antioch road. I was notified of the incident by the roc at 1400L CST. I arrived at the location given to me by the pilot at 1545L CST. The only damage to the aircraft was to the right landing gear scissor link that was subsequent from hitting a drainage swell in the field after landing successfully. The pilot and passenger did not suffer any injuries. Both inboard fuel tanks had fuel in them and the fuel gauges indicated appropriately with just over ¼ in the left and just over ½ in the right. I also had the pilot sump both tanks they, both had clean fuel. I visually inspected the engine and did not find any obvious contributors to the incident and cleared privacy data omitted to move the aircraft to his hangar at M04. On 11/30/21 I returned to the privacy data omitted hangar to inspect the logbooks and further inspect the aircraft. Inspection of the logbooks revealed the engine had not had any maintenance performed since the previous annual inspection that was coming due. The cockpit had major work performed installing autopilot garmin gfc 500 iaw STC SA01866WI. The aircraft fuel system appeared to operational fuel in the gascolator was clean and fuel was also present in the carburetor bowl the throttle system moved freely as well as the carb heat. The air filter and intake were clear of any obstruction as well. The magnetos were tight and the wiring was intact. I did not find any obvious causes to the loss of power during my inspection. Sas activity # CE21202200713

As the FAA filed it

ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26 2021 N7323P DEPARTING FROM MDQ (HUNTSVILLE, AL) AT 1103 AM CST ON A RETURN FLIGHT TO M04 (COVINGTON, TN). ACCORDING TO THE PILOT?S STATEMENT SHORTLY AFTER STARTING DECENT INTO M04 THE AIRCRAFT LOST ENGINE POWER, THE PILOT THEN SWITCHED FROM LEFT INBOARD FUEL TANK TO THE RIGHT INBOARD TANK, THE ENGINE NEVER RECOVERED. THE PILOT THEN PERFORMED THE EMERGENCY LANDING CHECKLIST AND LANDED THE AIRCRAFT IN A FIELD 1,500 FEET NORTH EAST OF THE AIRFIELD RUNWAY ADJACENT TO ANTIOCH ROAD. I WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT BY THE ROC AT 1400L CST. I ARRIVED AT THE LOCATION GIVEN TO ME BY THE PILOT AT 1545L CST. THE ONLY DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SCISSOR LINK THAT WAS SUBSEQUENT FROM HITTING A DRAINAGE SWELL IN THE FIELD AFTER LANDING SUCCESSFULLY. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER DID NOT SUFFER ANY INJURIES. BOTH INBOARD FUEL TANKS HAD FUEL IN THEM AND THE FUEL GAUGES INDICATED APPROPRIATELY WITH JUST OVER ¼ IN THE LEFT AND JUST OVER ½ IN THE RIGHT. I ALSO HAD THE PILOT SUMP BOTH TANKS THEY, BOTH HAD CLEAN FUEL. I VISUALLY INSPECTED THE ENGINE AND DID NOT FIND ANY OBVIOUS CONTRIBUTORS TO THE INCIDENT AND CLEARED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TO MOVE THE AIRCRAFT TO HIS HANGAR AT M04. ON 11/30/21 I RETURNED TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HANGAR TO INSPECT THE LOGBOOKS AND FURTHER INSPECT THE AIRCRAFT. INSPECTION OF THE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THE ENGINE HAD NOT HAD ANY MAINTENANCE PERFORMED SINCE THE PREVIOUS ANNUAL INSPECTION THAT WAS COMING DUE. THE COCKPIT HAD MAJOR WORK PERFORMED INSTALLING AUTOPILOT GARMIN GFC 500 IAW STC SA01866WI. THE AIRCRAFT FUEL SYSTEM APPEARED TO OPERATIONAL FUEL IN THE GASCOLATOR WAS CLEAN AND FUEL WAS ALSO PRESENT IN THE CARBURETOR BOWL THE THROTTLE SYSTEM MOVED FREELY AS WELL AS THE CARB HEAT. THE AIR FILTER AND INTAKE WERE CLEAR OF ANY OBSTRUCTION AS WELL. THE MAGNETOS WERE TIGHT AND THE WIRING WAS INTACT. I DID NOT FIND ANY OBVIOUS CAUSES TO THE LOSS OF POWER DURING MY INSPECTION. SAS ACTIVITY # CE21202200713