# NTSB CEN21LA004: Piper PA46, N62ZM, Lake Elmo, MN, October 2, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: October 2, 2020, 15:12 local (20:12 UTC)
- Place: Lake Elmo, MN · Standing Corn Field 1/2 mile from runway
- Coordinates: 45.001181, -92.872386
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.0012&lon=-92.8724&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 2 serious
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Central Region
- Parties: Halatsis, Piper Aircraft
- NTSB case key (mKey): 102084
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN21LA004
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102084/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102084
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA004

## Probable cause

A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Engine (turbine/turboprop)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200/cases.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 67 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057200/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Unknown or undetermined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 1,703 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/000/sequence.md)
- [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341); cases with it: [Piper PA46-500TP, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7104622), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Analysis

The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff and following landing gear retraction, he noticed a “hiccup” in engine power and immediately started a turn back toward the airport. During the turn, the engine lost total power and the pilot performed a forced landing into a field of standing corn, during which the airplane sustained substantial damage. A post-accident examination of the engine, accessories, fuel pump, fuel control unit, flow divider valve, and fuel-oil heat exchanger revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation, and the reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined.

## Factual narrative

On October 2, 2020, about 1512 central daylight time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, N62ZM, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Lake Elmo, Minnesota. The airline transport pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff and following landing gear retraction, he noticed a “hiccup” in engine power and immediately started a turn back toward the airport. During the turn, engine power was lost and the pilot performed a forced landing into a field of standing corn. The airplane impacted terrain, bounced, and came to rest upright in the corn about ½ mile northwest of the departure end of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing as a result of the impact and post-crash fire. A post-accident examination of the engine, accessories, fuel pump, fuel control unit, flow divider valve, and fuel-oil heat exchanger revealed no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N62ZM](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N62ZM-2024-04-30), registration cancelled 2024-04-30, S/N 4697087, built 2001 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA46
- Registry model: [Piper PA46-500TP](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa46-500tp) (registry code 7104622) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Pratt & Whitney PT6A series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (registry code 52032, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 4697087
- Year built: 2001
- Airframe hours: 2850
- Engines: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-42A turbo prop
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Fire: On-Ground
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Destination: HQZ, Mesquite, TX
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: 21D, Lake Elmo, runway 32, 2,849 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment: Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 59; injuries: serious; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane, helicopter; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 13, 2020; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 3,828 total, 42 in this make and model, 3,710 as pilot in command, 59 in the last 90 days, 7 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observed at: KSTP, 9 nm away
- METAR: KSTP 021953Z 10SM FEW050 10/M03 A3019 RMK AO2 SLP226 T01001033

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20201002018469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201002018469A), Oct 2, 2020: Piper PA46-500TP, Lake Elmo, MN, Substantial damage. 2020-10-02, 1505L, N62ZM a Piper meridian, departed rwy 32 at Lake Elmo Airport (21D). The gear and flaps were raised, immediately thereafter there was a…

## Docket (9 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 6, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102084. 11.2 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.5 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13084434&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Pilot's statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 117 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13099558&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Record-of-Conversation-form-Rel.pdf
- Cockpit displays & other device - specialist's factual report (item 3, PDF, 12 pages, 8 photos, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11966803&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FINAL_factual_CEN21LA004-Rel.pdf
- Cockpit displays & other device - attachment 1 (DEV1 csv data) (item 4, CSV, 94 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11967495&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment1_CEN21LA004_dev1-Rel.csv
- Cockpit displays & other device - attachment 2 (DEV2 csv data) (item 5, CSV, 89 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11966720&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment2_CEN21LA004_dev2-Rel.csv
- Cockpit displays & other device - attachment 3 (meggitt dau csv data) (item 6, CSV, 10 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11967589&FileExtension=csv&FileName=Attachment3_CEN21LA004_dau-Rel.csv
- Powerplants group chairman's factual report (item 7, PDF, 13 pages, 3.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13044869&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN21LA004-%20PA-46-500T%20Lake%20Elmo%20MN%20Powerplants%20Group%20Chairman%27s%20Factual%20Report%20(Docket)-Rel.pdf
- Powerplants- attachment 1- pwc accessories accident report (item 8, PDF, 16 pages, 1.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13044697&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=CEN21LA004-%20Powerplants-%20Attachment%201-%20PWC%20Accessories%20Report-Rel.pdf
- Photos (item 9, PDF, 1 page, 316 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=13084302&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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