- Date
- January 8, 2000, 14:43 local (21:43 UTC)
- Place
- Rock Springs, WY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N128YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000108004769A
- Case key
- 48435
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
A forced landing on rough, unsuitable terrain. Factors were: Inadequate preflight planning, flight into known adverse weather conditions containing snow, high gusting winds, low temperatures, and a total loss of power for non mechanical reasons due to induction system icing.
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 initiated the cross-country flight on a VFR flight plan in IMC conditions. He picked up an IFR clearance following his departure. After approximately 15 minutes of flight, the pilot said he lost power to the right engine due to induction system icing. This was followed by a loss of power to the left engine. The pilot conducted an emergency, landing gear retracted, landing on rough uneven terrain. Weather conditions at the departure airport were 200 foot overcast skies and 1/2 mile visibility with snow. The wind was from 280 degrees at 17 knots with gusts to 23 knots, the altimeter was 29.86 Hg, and the temperature/dew point was 25 and 19 degrees Fahrenheit respectively.
Factual narrative
On January 8, 2000, at 1443 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, N128Y, made a forced landing 10 miles southwest of Rock Springs, Wyoming, following a total loss of power. The private certificated, instrument rated pilot was not injured and the aircraft sustained substantial damage. The flight was operating under Title 14 CFR Part 91 and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan had been filed in the air. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed for this cross-country flight from Rock Springs, to Boise, Idaho. The flight originated from Rock Springs at 1407 on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan.
According to the pilot, he departed Rock Springs as snow was starting and proceeded southwest in order to stay in visual conditions. He contacted Salt Lake Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) and filed an IFR flight plan. He then proceeded on his flight in IMC conditions.
The pilot said that after about 15 minutes of flight in IMC conditions, the right engine began to fail due to induction system icing. The loss of power to the right engine was followed by loss of power to the left engine and an emergency, landing gear retracted, landing was made by the pilot on rough uneven terrain.
Recorded weather conditions at Rock Springs when the flight departed were 200 foot overcast skies, and 1/2 mile measured visibility with snow. The wind was from 280 degrees magnetic heading at 17 knots with gusts to 23 knots. The temperature was 25 degrees Fahrenheit (F.) and the dew point was 19 degrees F. The altimeter setting was 29.86 inches of mercury. Other than the pilot's report of IMC conditions, weather conditions at the accident site were not recorded.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-21
- Airframe hours
- 2,980
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Douglas A. Mccance
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 1999 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- RKS · WY
- Destination
- BOI · Boise, ID
- Flight plan
- VFR/IFR
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 989 total · 467 in this make and model · 769 as pilot in command · 137 in the last 90 days · 125 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 0.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 25 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RKS, 10 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.