# Incident 20230308004759I: Piper PA-34-200, Grand Canyon, AZ, March 8, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 8, 2023, 15:51 local time
- Place: Grand Canyon, AZ
- Airport: Grand Canyon National Park
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.9524° N, 112.1470° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at Grand Canyon National Park Airport (GCN), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9524&lon=-112.1470&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8502V, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8502V) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-34-200
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,120 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230308004759I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 3/8/23 THE PILOT AND A STUDENT WERE ON A MULTI-ENGINE TIME BUILDING FLIGHT THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON WHEN THEY NOTICED THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE FOR THE LEFT ENGINE WAS READING ZERO AND THE OIL TEMP GAUGE WAS IN THE RED (HIGH). WITHIN SECONDS OF SEEING THAT INFORMATION THE LEFT ENGINE STOPPED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE PROP TO GO INTO A FEATHERED POSITION. AT THAT TIME THE PILOT CONTACTED GRAND CANYON TOWER AND REQUESTED A FLIGHT THROUGH THE NO FLIGHT ZONE FOR A DIRECT PATH TO KGCN FOR AN EMERGENCY LANDING. AT THIS TIME, THEY WERE AT ABOUT 10,500 MSL SLIGHTLY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE. AFTER MAKING A 100 DEGREE TURN AND DESCENDING ABOUT 700-1000 FEET (AROUND 3000 AGL) THE PILOT REALIZED THEY WERE NOT GOING TO MAKE IT TO KGCN BECAUSE IT WAS STILL 25 MILES TO THE EAST. AT THAT POINT THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH GRAND CANYON TOWER AND ASKED THEM IF THEY KNEW OF ANYWHERE FLAT TO LAND BECAUSE ALL THEY COULD SEE AROUND THEM WAS CANYONS, HILLS, AND PINE TREES. THEY ENDED UP FINDING A SMALL DIRT FIELD TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT IN AND LANDED WITH NO INJURIES. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE LOSS OF POWER ON THE LEFT ENGINE WAS CAUSED BY A BROKEN PISTON ROD THAT WILL LIKELY REQUIRE THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED.

TO BE AMENDED AT A LATER DATE IF NEEDED

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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