20241201022289A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-200 · Boscobel, WI · December 1, 2024

Date
December 1, 2024 · 18:22 local
Place
Boscobel, WI
Airport
Boscobel
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N41997
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA053
Reported as
Piper PA28R-200
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-360-C1C
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total

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.

On 01 dec 2024, 13:45 CST (central standard time) Piper PA28R-200 1975 arrow ii, privacy data omitted operating as a planned 14 CFR part 91 IFR training flight departed lake in the hills airport (3CK), IL arriving at fairmount municipal airport (kfrm), MN at approximately 1615 CST, then taking off from kfrm at approx. 1705 CST, night IFR training, for 3CK. The aircraft leased by a flight school based at lake in the hills airport, IL. All flight legs were flown with the flight instructor sitting in the right front seat and a commercial student (licensed private pilot) sitting in the left front seat. The student acted as PIC throughout the flight till declared flight emergency. The aircraft was kept warmed, hangered at lake in the hills airport, and towed on the tarmac right before the flight to kfrm. After landing at kfrm, before the planned flight back to 3CK, the aircraft was position on the tarmac with engine off for approximately 40 minutes in 15° f weather. After takeoff at fairmont, privacy data omitted flying in VFR conditions cruised with autopilot engaged at 9000 MSL, 2400 RPM, 2300 manifold pressure, and 65% fuel flow, oil pressure and oil temperature in the green, though per the instructor the oil temperature was running cooler than he was used to, attributed it to a cold OAT. A burnt odor became apparent approximately 1 hour into the flight leg, at which time the autopilot was disengaged, all gauges checked normal, no circuit breakers popped, heat control was adjusted down, and the odor diminished. Within a minute of noticing the odor, triggered per a PIREP request from ATC as to icing, the flight crew realized the windshield was opaque; this did not make sense to the instructor per flying in clear VFR conditions, he then illuminated the windshield using a flashlight describing a brown river obscuring forward visibility to zero. The instructor stated the oil pressure gauge that a moment ago was normal, now at little or no pressure; took control of the aircraft from the student, declared emergency to ATC and asked for vectors to the nearest airport. The pilots were instructed and vectored by ATC to the closest airport being Boscobel (kovs), WI and that they were almost lined up with runway 7. From declaring emergency to the hard landing at Boscobel that aircraft traveled approximately 9 miles, flight time of approximately 6 minutes; this ascertained by instructor pilot using GPS nearest airport function (and verified by ADS-B tracking). The instructor stated he reduced manifold pressure to 15 inhg to slow the oil evacuating from the engine and for descent to kovs; not simultaneously but soon, a sensation of losing power occurred and that he lowered the nose to maintain airspeed. Per the student at 8 miles out, 7000 MSL, utilizing CTAF, Boscobel runway light was turned on to full brightness, and that he had a visual on the airport, though the instructor stated he could barely see it. The instructor visually saw the airport out of, the stated, only unaffected area of the lower rear corner of the right windshield and to set up for a tight pattern in the attempt to stay within the lateral confines of the airport property. The instructor stated the engine / propeller stopped and landing gear was lowered per abbreviated downwind. The student was instructed to call out airspeed & altitude every 10 seconds, specifically to keep airspeed from lowering below 90 mph. Full flaps were extended what instructor pilot thought to be base turn to final. At 1822 CST privacy data omitted landed hard, first contacting a PAPI light at kovs with the left-wing flap approximately 720 downfield and 110 feet left of runway 07 centerline, bounced, recontacting the ground approx. 430 feet further from VASI at which time the right main gear collapsed, skidding another 440 feet; the aircraft stopping 1590 feet from beginning threshold and 130 feet left of runway 07, with substantial damage to left (ruptured fuel tank) & right wings, and right horizontal stab.

As the FAA filed it

ON 01 DEC 2024, 13:45 CST (CENTRAL STANDARD TIME) PIPER PA28R-200 1975 ARROW II, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OPERATING AS A PLANNED 14 CFR PART 91 IFR TRAINING FLIGHT DEPARTED LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT (3CK), IL ARRIVING AT FAIRMOUNT MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KFRM), MN AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 CST, THEN TAKING OFF FROM KFRM AT APPROX. 1705 CST, NIGHT IFR TRAINING, FOR 3CK. THE AIRCRAFT LEASED BY A FLIGHT SCHOOL BASED AT LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT, IL. ALL FLIGHT LEGS WERE FLOWN WITH THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR SITTING IN THE RIGHT FRONT SEAT AND A COMMERCIAL STUDENT (LICENSED PRIVATE PILOT) SITTING IN THE LEFT FRONT SEAT. THE STUDENT ACTED AS PIC THROUGHOUT THE FLIGHT TILL DECLARED FLIGHT EMERGENCY. THE AIRCRAFT WAS KEPT WARMED, HANGERED AT LAKE IN THE HILLS AIRPORT, AND TOWED ON THE TARMAC RIGHT BEFORE THE FLIGHT TO KFRM. AFTER LANDING AT KFRM, BEFORE THE PLANNED FLIGHT BACK TO 3CK, THE AIRCRAFT WAS POSITION ON THE TARMAC WITH ENGINE OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 40 MINUTES IN 15° F WEATHER. AFTER TAKEOFF AT FAIRMONT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FLYING IN VFR CONDITIONS CRUISED WITH AUTOPILOT ENGAGED AT 9000 MSL, 2400 RPM, 2300 MANIFOLD PRESSURE, AND 65% FUEL FLOW, OIL PRESSURE AND OIL TEMPERATURE IN THE GREEN, THOUGH PER THE INSTRUCTOR THE OIL TEMPERATURE WAS RUNNING COOLER THAN HE WAS USED TO, ATTRIBUTED IT TO A COLD OAT. A BURNT ODOR BECAME APPARENT APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR INTO THE FLIGHT LEG, AT WHICH TIME THE AUTOPILOT WAS DISENGAGED, ALL GAUGES CHECKED NORMAL, NO CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED, HEAT CONTROL WAS ADJUSTED DOWN, AND THE ODOR DIMINISHED. WITHIN A MINUTE OF NOTICING THE ODOR, TRIGGERED PER A PIREP REQUEST FROM ATC AS TO ICING, THE FLIGHT CREW REALIZED THE WINDSHIELD WAS OPAQUE; THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO THE INSTRUCTOR PER FLYING IN CLEAR VFR CONDITIONS, HE THEN ILLUMINATED THE WINDSHIELD USING A FLASHLIGHT DESCRIBING A BROWN RIVER OBSCURING FORWARD VISIBILITY TO ZERO. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE THAT A MOMENT AGO WAS NORMAL, NOW AT LITTLE OR NO PRESSURE; TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE STUDENT, DECLARED EMERGENCY TO ATC AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOTS WERE INSTRUCTED AND VECTORED BY ATC TO THE CLOSEST AIRPORT BEING BOSCOBEL (KOVS), WI AND THAT THEY WERE ALMOST LINED UP WITH RUNWAY 7. FROM DECLARING EMERGENCY TO THE HARD LANDING AT BOSCOBEL THAT AIRCRAFT TRAVELED APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES, FLIGHT TIME OF APPROXIMATELY 6 MINUTES; THIS ASCERTAINED BY INSTRUCTOR PILOT USING GPS NEAREST AIRPORT FUNCTION (AND VERIFIED BY ADS-B TRACKING). THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE REDUCED MANIFOLD PRESSURE TO 15 INHG TO SLOW THE OIL EVACUATING FROM THE ENGINE AND FOR DESCENT TO KOVS; NOT SIMULTANEOUSLY BUT SOON, A SENSATION OF LOSING POWER OCCURRED AND THAT HE LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED. PER THE STUDENT AT 8 MILES OUT, 7000 MSL, UTILIZING CTAF, BOSCOBEL RUNWAY LIGHT WAS TURNED ON TO FULL BRIGHTNESS, AND THAT HE HAD A VISUAL ON THE AIRPORT, THOUGH THE INSTRUCTOR STATED HE COULD BARELY SEE IT. THE INSTRUCTOR VISUALLY SAW THE AIRPORT OUT OF, THE STATED, ONLY UNAFFECTED AREA OF THE LOWER REAR CORNER OF THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD AND TO SET UP FOR A TIGHT PATTERN IN THE ATTEMPT TO STAY WITHIN THE LATERAL CONFINES OF THE AIRPORT PROPERTY. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THE ENGINE / PROPELLER STOPPED AND LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED PER ABBREVIATED DOWNWIND. THE STUDENT WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL OUT AIRSPEED & ALTITUDE EVERY 10 SECONDS, SPECIFICALLY TO KEEP AIRSPEED FROM LOWERING BELOW 90 MPH. FULL FLAPS WERE EXTENDED WHAT INSTRUCTOR PILOT THOUGHT TO BE BASE TURN TO FINAL. AT 1822 CST ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ LANDED HARD, FIRST CONTACTING A PAPI LIGHT AT KOVS WITH THE LEFT-WING FLAP APPROXIMATELY 720 DOWNFIELD AND 110 FEET LEFT OF RUNWAY 07 CENTERLINE, BOUNCED, RECONTACTING THE GROUND APPROX. 430 FEET FURTHER FROM VASI AT WHICH TIME THE RIGHT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED, SKIDDING ANOTHER 440 FEET; THE AIRCRAFT STOPPING 1590 FEET FROM BEGINNING THRESHOLD AND 130 FEET LEFT OF RUNWAY 07, WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO LEFT (RUPTURED FUEL TANK) & RIGHT WINGS, AND RIGHT HORIZONTAL STAB.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N41997 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.