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20230623009759A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28RT-201T · Baytown, TX · June 23, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 2023 · 14:58 local
Place
Baytown, TX
Airport
Baytown
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8446B
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN23LA259
Reported as
Piper PA-28RT-201T
Reported engine
Continental TSIO-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
480 total
N8446BRegistered now · Piper PA-28RT-201TS/N 28R-8231001 · Built 1981Airframe modelPiper PA-28RT-201TEngine modelContinental TSIO-360 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.

Pilot stated that on 23 June 2023 at approx 1400 he completed a pre-flight noting oil and gas levels. Gas was approx 25 gallons per wing. Pilot flew in close proxcimity to the airport, completed a touch and go then proceded approx 5 miles out from airport due to helicopters operating close to the airport.

Aircraft engine sputtered. Pilot leaned the fuel mixture thinking it may be carbon build-up. This action smoothed the engine. Shortly after smothing the engine begain to sputter again. Pilot enriched the mixture and turn on the aux fuel pump. Engine again smoothed out. Pilot flew normal pattern to rwy 14 (hpy) for landng. Upon entering final approach, the engine quit. Pilot decided to land in a clearing approx 1 mile short of the runway. Pilot stated the gear colasped upon landing and he slid anoter 150 to feet. The aircraft sustaianed major damage. Pilot suffered deep cut to the knee.

I met the pilot and his mechanic on 28 June 2023 at Baytown Airport (hpy) 09:00. Aircraft located on grassy area next to hanger where the aircraft was normally housed.

I observed gas remaing in both fuel cells. L/h cell approx 4 gallons. R/h cell approx 20 gallons. Fuel samples taken from l/h cell, r/h cell and fuel filter. Fuel samples looked clean. No water or particulates noted visually. Fuel selector switch was in the off poition. Key was in the off postion. Fuel was presant in the spider.

Engine air passageway was clear. Turbo was clear and free spinning. No damaged noted on turbo fins. All hoses and lines propperly secured.

Removed each spark plug. No oddities noted. All wiring secure with no noted chafing.

All engine controls looked to be secure and properly operating.

Limited engine rotation due to prop deformation. Limited travel was easy and not binding in any manner.

Did not test magneto's

Maintenance records look to be up to date and appropriate.

Awaiting testing of the magnetos and fuel pump.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT STATED THAT ON 23 JUNE 2023 AT APPROX 1400 HE COMPLETED A PRE-FLIGHT NOTING OIL AND GAS LEVELS. GAS WAS APPROX 25 GALLONS PER WING. PILOT FLEW IN CLOSE PROXCIMITY TO THE AIRPORT, COMPLETED A TOUCH AND GO THEN PROCEDED APPROX 5 MILES OUT FROM AIRPORT DUE TO HELICOPTERS OPERATING CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT.

AIRCRAFT ENGINE SPUTTERED. PILOT LEANED THE FUEL MIXTURE THINKING IT MAY BE CARBON BUILD-UP. THIS ACTION SMOOTHED THE ENGINE. SHORTLY AFTER SMOTHING THE ENGINE BEGAIN TO SPUTTER AGAIN. PILOT ENRICHED THE MIXTURE AND TURN ON THE AUX FUEL PUMP. ENGINE AGAIN SMOOTHED OUT. PILOT FLEW NORMAL PATTERN TO RWY 14 (HPY) FOR LANDNG. UPON ENTERING FINAL APPROACH, THE ENGINE QUIT. PILOT DECIDED TO LAND IN A CLEARING APPROX 1 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. PILOT STATED THE GEAR COLASPED UPON LANDING AND HE SLID ANOTER 150 TO FEET. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAIANED MAJOR DAMAGE. PILOT SUFFERED DEEP CUT TO THE KNEE.

I MET THE PILOT AND HIS MECHANIC ON 28 JUNE 2023 AT BAYTOWN AIRPORT (HPY) 09:00. AIRCRAFT LOCATED ON GRASSY AREA NEXT TO HANGER WHERE THE AIRCRAFT WAS NORMALLY HOUSED.

I OBSERVED GAS REMAING IN BOTH FUEL CELLS. L/H CELL APPROX 4 GALLONS. R/H CELL APPROX 20 GALLONS. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM L/H CELL, R/H CELL AND FUEL FILTER. FUEL SAMPLES LOOKED CLEAN. NO WATER OR PARTICULATES NOTED VISUALLY. FUEL SELECTOR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POITION. KEY WAS IN THE OFF POSTION. FUEL WAS PRESANT IN THE SPIDER.

ENGINE AIR PASSAGEWAY WAS CLEAR. TURBO WAS CLEAR AND FREE SPINNING. NO DAMAGED NOTED ON TURBO FINS. ALL HOSES AND LINES PROPPERLY SECURED.

REMOVED EACH SPARK PLUG. NO ODDITIES NOTED. ALL WIRING SECURE WITH NO NOTED CHAFING.

ALL ENGINE CONTROLS LOOKED TO BE SECURE AND PROPERLY OPERATING.

LIMITED ENGINE ROTATION DUE TO PROP DEFORMATION. LIMITED TRAVEL WAS EASY AND NOT BINDING IN ANY MANNER.

DID NOT TEST MAGNETO'S

MAINTENANCE RECORDS LOOK TO BE UP TO DATE AND APPROPRIATE.

AWAITING TESTING OF THE MAGNETOS AND FUEL PUMP.

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 CEN23LA259Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportBaytown, TXThe total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the subsequent impact with terrain.Jun 23, 2023 · Substantial damage