What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
privacy data omitted, A PA28 encountered engine problems and landed in a culvert/canal/field on an approximate one mile final to rwy 21 @ the Marana (avq) airport. The pilot reported that he conducted a flight from kffz to kavq in the cherokee 180 (operating as ROK60). At ffz he requested that the fuel be topped off.
After fueling he sumped, both tanks and the gascolator. During the flight, shortly after crossing kchd, his fuel timer went off and he switched tanks with no pressure fluctuation. Just before 10NM out from the airport, he switched to the other tank. No abnormal engine or fuel flow readings were noticed after the switch.
When he was keying the mic to report short final, he noticed engine roughness and a drop in rpms. He immediately applied full throttle and checked to make sure the mixture was in the full rich setting. With throttle application, there was a small increase in engine sound before quieting back down. He applied carburetor heat but did not notice a positive or negative effect. The aircraft was slowing to 85MPH, so he continued to best glide at 80. He switched the fuel tank selector switch back to the right tank and ensured that the electric fuel pump was turned on. He could not tell if the engine was running/igniting or free spinning. He confirmed both mags were on and activated the starter button for a few seconds. He realized that he would not be able to glide to the runway from position and altitude and began to look for a suitable place to land. He began to secure the engine for a forced landing and conducted a soft field landing with the nose held up high on touchdown.
On may 2, approximately 11:45 a.m., inspectors from sdl FSDO arrived at the scene and found aircraft facing northwest in the dry resupply basin. They performed a general condition inspection of the aircraft. There was no evidence observed to indicate the aircraft was leaking any type of fluid such as fuel, engine oil or hydraulic oil. The landing gear and all primary and secondary flight controls appeared to be undamaged with all flight controls intact.
On may 14, 2024, inspectors from sdl FSDO went to privacy data omitted, a non-certercated part 61 flight school, to look at the aircraft and its records. The fuel selector valve was found to not have all its labeling. Off could be read, left was missing the "l" and the right side was completely missing.
The privacy data omitted allowed the cowling to be removed but would support no other maintenance to troubleshoot the loss of power saying that the engine would be removed and sent to the aircraft engines specialist for teardown. Inspectors subsequently contacted aircraft engine specialist to arrange to be present for the teardown and asked for the engine to be run, if possible, on a test stand prior to teardown.
A review of the aircraft records found the aircraft to have two open discrepancies recorded on 4/30/2024 in red rock aviation’s computer system, which was prior to the accident flight on MAY1, 2024. They were for the stall warning light being inaccurate and for a small break leak on the right main wheel. These discrepancies that render the aircraft unairworthy until dispositioned by aircraft mechanic, were not recorded in the flight log in the aircraft. Also, there was an operator's manual in the aircraft instead of an aircraft flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook.
This report will be amended if engine inspection yields any information concerning the loss of engine power.
As the FAA filed it
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A PA28 ENCOUNTERED ENGINE PROBLEMS AND LANDED IN A CULVERT/CANAL/FIELD ON AN APPROXIMATE ONE MILE FINAL TO RWY 21 @ THE MARANA (AVQ) AIRPORT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE CONDUCTED A FLIGHT FROM KFFZ TO KAVQ IN THE CHEROKEE 180 (OPERATING AS ROK60). AT FFZ HE REQUESTED THAT THE FUEL BE TOPPED OFF.
AFTER FUELING HE SUMPED, BOTH TANKS AND THE GASCOLATOR. DURING THE FLIGHT, SHORTLY AFTER CROSSING KCHD, HIS FUEL TIMER WENT OFF AND HE SWITCHED TANKS WITH NO PRESSURE FLUCTUATION. JUST BEFORE 10NM OUT FROM THE AIRPORT, HE SWITCHED TO THE OTHER TANK. NO ABNORMAL ENGINE OR FUEL FLOW READINGS WERE NOTICED AFTER THE SWITCH.
WHEN HE WAS KEYING THE MIC TO REPORT SHORT FINAL, HE NOTICED ENGINE ROUGHNESS AND A DROP IN RPMS. HE IMMEDIATELY APPLIED FULL THROTTLE AND CHECKED TO MAKE SURE THE MIXTURE WAS IN THE FULL RICH SETTING. WITH THROTTLE APPLICATION, THERE WAS A SMALL INCREASE IN ENGINE SOUND BEFORE QUIETING BACK DOWN. HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT BUT DID NOT NOTICE A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EFFECT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SLOWING TO 85MPH, SO HE CONTINUED TO BEST GLIDE AT 80. HE SWITCHED THE FUEL TANK SELECTOR SWITCH BACK TO THE RIGHT TANK AND ENSURED THAT THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP WAS TURNED ON. HE COULD NOT TELL IF THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING/IGNITING OR FREE SPINNING. HE CONFIRMED BOTH MAGS WERE ON AND ACTIVATED THE STARTER BUTTON FOR A FEW SECONDS. HE REALIZED THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GLIDE TO THE RUNWAY FROM POSITION AND ALTITUDE AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR A SUITABLE PLACE TO LAND. HE BEGAN TO SECURE THE ENGINE FOR A FORCED LANDING AND CONDUCTED A SOFT FIELD LANDING WITH THE NOSE HELD UP HIGH ON TOUCHDOWN.
ON MAY 2, APPROXIMATELY 11:45 A.M., INSPECTORS FROM SDL FSDO ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND FOUND AIRCRAFT FACING NORTHWEST IN THE DRY RESUPPLY BASIN. THEY PERFORMED A GENERAL CONDITION INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OBSERVED TO INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS LEAKING ANY TYPE OF FLUID SUCH AS FUEL, ENGINE OIL OR HYDRAULIC OIL. THE LANDING GEAR AND ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY FLIGHT CONTROLS APPEARED TO BE UNDAMAGED WITH ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS INTACT.
ON MAY 14, 2024, INSPECTORS FROM SDL FSDO WENT TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, A NON-CERTERCATED PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL, TO LOOK AT THE AIRCRAFT AND ITS RECORDS. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS FOUND TO NOT HAVE ALL ITS LABELING. OFF COULD BE READ, LEFT WAS MISSING THE "L" AND THE RIGHT SIDE WAS COMPLETELY MISSING.
THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ALLOWED THE COWLING TO BE REMOVED BUT WOULD SUPPORT NO OTHER MAINTENANCE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE LOSS OF POWER SAYING THAT THE ENGINE WOULD BE REMOVED AND SENT TO THE AIRCRAFT ENGINES SPECIALIST FOR TEARDOWN. INSPECTORS SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED AIRCRAFT ENGINE SPECIALIST TO ARRANGE TO BE PRESENT FOR THE TEARDOWN AND ASKED FOR THE ENGINE TO BE RUN, IF POSSIBLE, ON A TEST STAND PRIOR TO TEARDOWN.
A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT RECORDS FOUND THE AIRCRAFT TO HAVE TWO OPEN DISCREPANCIES RECORDED ON 4/30/2024 IN RED ROCK AVIATION’S COMPUTER SYSTEM, WHICH WAS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT ON MAY1, 2024. THEY WERE FOR THE STALL WARNING LIGHT BEING INACCURATE AND FOR A SMALL BREAK LEAK ON THE RIGHT MAIN WHEEL. THESE DISCREPANCIES THAT RENDER THE AIRCRAFT UNAIRWORTHY UNTIL DISPOSITIONED BY AIRCRAFT MECHANIC, WERE NOT RECORDED IN THE FLIGHT LOG IN THE AIRCRAFT. ALSO, THERE WAS AN OPERATOR'S MANUAL IN THE AIRCRAFT INSTEAD OF AN AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL OR PILOT’S OPERATING HANDBOOK.
THIS REPORT WILL BE AMENDED IF ENGINE INSPECTION YIELDS ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Other reports on N7860W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.