- Date
- January 13, 1992, 09:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Grand Rapids, MN
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N255WPiper PA-23-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920113003209A
- Case key
- 15378
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's lack of familiarity with aircraft systems which resulted in his failure to extend the landing gear by the alternate system. A factor was the loss of engine power.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot stated that during cruise flight the left engine began to run rough and then lost power completely. When attempts to restart were unsuccessful, he feathered the propeller and turned towards the nearest airport to land. He extended the landing gear when the airplane was about one mile from the runway threshold, but did not get a gear down and locked indication. With engine driven hydraulic pressure unavailable for gear extension, emergency manual gear extension is required. The pilot stated he did not have time for manual gear extension, and judged a go-around to be inadvisable. He side-stepped and landed on the snow-covered ground adjacent to the runway. The partially extended landing gear collapsed upon touchdown and the airplane came to a stop nose down in the snow. The loss of engine power was due to a failed valve in the number 3 cylinder.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N255W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-451
- Airframe hours
- 4,500
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Weske, Douglas P
- Registered owner
- Weske, Douglas P
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1991 · 200 hours before
- Departed
- MIC · Minneapolis, MN
- Airport
- GPZ · Grand Rapids
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,223 total · 157 in this make and model · 1,152 as pilot in command · 82 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 16 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.