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20231112020179A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-22 · Anchorage, AK · November 12, 2023

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
November 12, 2023 · 16:26 local
Place
Anchorage, AK
Airport
Lake Hood Strip
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8095C
NTSB investigation
NTSBANC24LA004
Reported as
Piper PA-22
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-290 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
7,745 total700 in this make and model159 in the last 90 days
N8095CRegistered now · Piper PA-22S/N 22-2241 · Built 1954Airframe modelPiper PA-22Engine modelLycoming 0-290 series4 cycle

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.

Aircraft was plugged in for several hours for pre-heat prior to flight. After removing the covers and unplugging the aircraft the engine was started. The pilot taxied around the victor taxiway for approximately 15 minutes waiting on the ATIS to change from IFR to VFR. The sky was clear to the eye but ATIS still had not updated from the ice fog that had just cleared the area.

At around 16:10 the sky was clear with light winds and the pilot took off on runway 32 with closed-traffic. On downwind the pilot received clearance for an option approach and landing. Flaps were set and due to the relatively cold air temperature the pilot decided to keep the engine power set above idle at approximately 1500 RPM during the descent. To increase the descent rate prior to the base turn the pilot flew a forward slip using about 1 /3-1/2 of the left rudder travel. The pilot completed a pre-landing check by checking mixture position, applying full carb-heat, and set the fuel selector to both.

During the base to final turn, everything appeared normal with the airplane and the flight path. To set the final approach speed and power the pilot reduced the throttle to idle momentarily (maybe 1 second). And then reapplied throttle attempting to add about 200 RPM to lessen the descent rate, but there was no response from the engine. After realizing there was no response from the engine the pilot added significantly more throttle with no response. The pilot then realized the engine had quit. The pilot then rechecked that the fuel selector was in the both position.

The pilot recognized that the glide would not be sufficient to make the runway, and continued flying. As the pilot reminded himself to let the aircraft glide he realized he had already pulled the yoke back fully as it was time to flare.

The main wheels impacted the side edge of the roadway that runs past the approach end of runway 32. The airplane had forward energy and slid across the road and inside of the fence into the clear area at the approach end of runway 32.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT WAS PLUGGED IN FOR SEVERAL HOURS FOR PRE-HEAT PRIOR TO FLIGHT. AFTER REMOVING THE COVERS AND UNPLUGGING THE AIRCRAFT THE ENGINE WAS STARTED. THE PILOT TAXIED AROUND THE VICTOR TAXIWAY FOR APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES WAITING ON THE ATIS TO CHANGE FROM IFR TO VFR. THE SKY WAS CLEAR TO THE EYE BUT ATIS STILL HAD NOT UPDATED FROM THE ICE FOG THAT HAD JUST CLEARED THE AREA.

AT AROUND 16:10 THE SKY WAS CLEAR WITH LIGHT WINDS AND THE PILOT TOOK OFF ON RUNWAY 32 WITH CLOSED-TRAFFIC. ON DOWNWIND THE PILOT RECEIVED CLEARANCE FOR AN OPTION APPROACH AND LANDING. FLAPS WERE SET AND DUE TO THE RELATIVELY COLD AIR TEMPERATURE THE PILOT DECIDED TO KEEP THE ENGINE POWER SET ABOVE IDLE AT APPROXIMATELY 1500 RPM DURING THE DESCENT. TO INCREASE THE DESCENT RATE PRIOR TO THE BASE TURN THE PILOT FLEW A FORWARD SLIP USING ABOUT 1 /3-1/2 OF THE LEFT RUDDER TRAVEL. THE PILOT COMPLETED A PRE-LANDING CHECK BY CHECKING MIXTURE POSITION, APPLYING FULL CARB-HEAT, AND SET THE FUEL SELECTOR TO BOTH.

DURING THE BASE TO FINAL TURN, EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL WITH THE AIRPLANE AND THE FLIGHT PATH. TO SET THE FINAL APPROACH SPEED AND POWER THE PILOT REDUCED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE MOMENTARILY (MAYBE 1 SECOND). AND THEN REAPPLIED THROTTLE ATTEMPTING TO ADD ABOUT 200 RPM TO LESSEN THE DESCENT RATE, BUT THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE. AFTER REALIZING THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ENGINE THE PILOT ADDED SIGNIFICANTLY MORE THROTTLE WITH NO RESPONSE. THE PILOT THEN REALIZED THE ENGINE HAD QUIT. THE PILOT THEN RECHECKED THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR WAS IN THE BOTH POSITION.

THE PILOT RECOGNIZED THAT THE GLIDE WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE RUNWAY, AND CONTINUED FLYING. AS THE PILOT REMINDED HIMSELF TO LET THE AIRCRAFT GLIDE HE REALIZED HE HAD ALREADY PULLED THE YOKE BACK FULLY AS IT WAS TIME TO FLARE.

THE MAIN WHEELS IMPACTED THE SIDE EDGE OF THE ROADWAY THAT RUNS PAST THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 32. THE AIRPLANE HAD FORWARD ENERGY AND SLID ACROSS THE ROAD AND INSIDE OF THE FENCE INTO THE CLEAR AREA AT THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 32.

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 ANC24LA004Accident · Minor injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportAnchorage, AKThe loss of engine power during final approach due to fuel exhaustion, which resulted from the pilot’s inadequate preflight.Nov 13, 2023 · Substantial damage