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20230625013129A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-24-250 · Alturas, CA · June 25, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 25, 2023 · 09:00 local
Place
Alturas, CA
Airport
Alturas Municipal
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N6430P
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR23LA239
Reported as
Piper PA-24-250
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
N6430PRegistered now · Piper PA-24-250S/N 24-1540 · Built 1959Airframe modelPiper PA-24-250Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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's written statement:

"IFR flight plan on file kaat. Sky was clear. I planned on getting seattle center once airborne. Got weather on ATIS. Did normal preflight of aircraft. Sumped all four fuel tanks, no sign of water. Loaded two passengers, did normal engine run up, all checked good. Taxied to rwy 31 at 08:35AM PDT. Full power down rwy all instruments in the green. At approx 5000 feet MSL, engine began to miss and run rough. I returned to kaat and landed rwy 31 and taxied to parking. All three of us deplaned. I re-did a full preflight of aircraft including re-sumping all four tanks, checked for loose sparks plugs, mags, etc. All engine components looked good. I instructed my two passengers to remain on the ground while I did a second engine run up and attempted a normal pattern around the airport. After engine run up, all seemed ok. I took off rwy 21. Engine ran good until I reached a couple hundred feet, then violent engine shaking. I started a left turn back to airport and immediately lost all engine power resulting in a hard landing and subsequent crash."

As the FAA filed it

PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT:

"IFR FLIGHT PLAN ON FILE KAAT. SKY WAS CLEAR. I PLANNED ON GETTING SEATTLE CENTER ONCE AIRBORNE. GOT WEATHER ON ATIS. DID NORMAL PREFLIGHT OF AIRCRAFT. SUMPED ALL FOUR FUEL TANKS, NO SIGN OF WATER. LOADED TWO PASSENGERS, DID NORMAL ENGINE RUN UP, ALL CHECKED GOOD. TAXIED TO RWY 31 AT 08:35AM PDT. FULL POWER DOWN RWY ALL INSTRUMENTS IN THE GREEN. AT APPROX 5000 FEET MSL, ENGINE BEGAN TO MISS AND RUN ROUGH. I RETURNED TO KAAT AND LANDED RWY 31 AND TAXIED TO PARKING. ALL THREE OF US DEPLANED. I RE-DID A FULL PREFLIGHT OF AIRCRAFT INCLUDING RE-SUMPING ALL FOUR TANKS, CHECKED FOR LOOSE SPARKS PLUGS, MAGS, ETC. ALL ENGINE COMPONENTS LOOKED GOOD. I INSTRUCTED MY TWO PASSENGERS TO REMAIN ON THE GROUND WHILE I DID A SECOND ENGINE RUN UP AND ATTEMPTED A NORMAL PATTERN AROUND THE AIRPORT. AFTER ENGINE RUN UP, ALL SEEMED OK. I TOOK OFF RWY 21. ENGINE RAN GOOD UNTIL I REACHED A COUPLE HUNDRED FEET, THEN VIOLENT ENGINE SHAKING. I STARTED A LEFT TURN BACK TO AIRPORT AND IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL ENGINE POWER RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT CRASH."

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 WPR23LA239Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportAlturas, CAA loss of engine power due to the failure of the right magneto distributor gear and the pilot’s decision to conduct a test flight with known mechanical issues.Jun 25, 2023 · Substantial damage