# NTSB ERA21LA054: Piper PA32, N5566J, Greenville, SC, November 24, 2020

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report
- Date: November 24, 2020, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place: Greenville, SC · impacted smoke stack then building
- Coordinates: 34.742081, -82.383549 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7421&lon=-82.3835&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 2 serious
- Status: Completed
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- SAIBs cited in the narratives: [SAIB CE-09-35](https://openairdocs.org/saib/CE-09-35) (OpenAirDocs)
- NTSB case key (mKey): 102338
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA21LA054
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/102338/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102338
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA054

## Probable cause

A partial loss of engine power due to the pilot’s delayed application of carburetor heat, which resulted in carburetor icing.

## Findings

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

- [Action: delayed action](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32-260, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md?model=7103206), [All aircraft, 894 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041025/cases.md)
- [Ice/rain protection system: intake anti-ice, deice](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Not used/operated (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32-260, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020/cases.md?model=7103206), [All aircraft, 108 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023020/cases.md)
- [Temp/humidity/pressure: conducive to carburetor icing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on equipment (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32-260, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md?model=7103206), [All aircraft, 435 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03031030/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

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

- [Approach-VFR pattern downwind: Fuel related](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-32-260, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md?model=7103206), [All aircraft, 361 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/190/sequence.md)

## Analysis

According to the pilot, after performing two takeoffs and landings, he was instructed to extend the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. During the extended downwind leg, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to restore full power (actions which included applying carburetor heat), and turned directly to the airport while notifying the tower controller of his emergency. The airplane subsequently collided with a building during a descending turn. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed no evidence of any mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. A review of the weather conditions at the accident airport revealed that the weather conditions at the time were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice at glide power settings. Given this information, it is likely that the loss of engine power was due to an accumulation of ice in the carburetor, and that the pilot’s application of carburetor heat after the engine had begun to lose power was insufficient to restore the power before the airplane impacted the ground.

## Factual narrative

On November 24, 2020, about 1530 eastern daylight time, a Piper Cherokee, PA-32-260, N5566J, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Greenville Donaldson Field (GYH), Greenville, South Carolina. The private pilot and passenger sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, he flew to GYH to “do some traffic pattern work.” The airplane was cleared for a left closed traffic pattern and landed on runway 05. After the second landing, he was instructed by the tower controller to fly a right traffic pattern due to incoming traffic from the west. The tower controller cleared the pilot to extend the downwind leg of the traffic pattern to avoid the inbound traffic that was on the final approach leg of the traffic pattern. The pilot acknowledged the tower controller’s instructions and proceeded. During the extended downwind leg, the engine began to lose power. The pilot attempted to restore full power and turned directly to the airport while notifying the tower controller of his emergency. During that time, the pilot “verified fuel selector, turned fuel pump on, cycled mags, verified mixture full rich, pulled carb heat, and checked gauges.” According to the pilot, the engine “never seemed to have quit running but would not make power no matter what I did.” The airplane subsequently collided with a building during a descending turn. The left wing separated, and the fuselage was substantially damaged. A review of the weather conditions at the accident airport GYH, included winds calm, 10 statute miles visibility, and clear skies. The temperature was 53° F, the dew point was 30° F, and the altimeter setting was 30.31 inches of mercury. Review of the icing probability chart contained within Federal Aviation Administration Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin CE-09-35 revealed the atmospheric conditions at the time of the accident were "conducive to serious icing at glide power." Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the external accessories of the engine were still attached to the engine case. The ignition system was intact and all spark plug leads were still connected to the magnetos and spark plugs. The spark plugs were removed, and no anomalies were noted. The fuel lines were intact but impact damaged, no fuel was observed within the breached fuel system lines. The carburetor bowl was removed and no debris was observed within the bowl. No anomalies were noted with the carburetor assembly. The propeller was rotated by hand and compression was observed on all of the engine’s cylinders. Valvetrain movement was observed, but the No. 1, No. 2 pushrods and tubes were impact damaged. The propeller showed signs of chordwise bending and scoring. All fuel system and oil lines were impact damaged. The engine driven fuel pump was removed and hand operated; it was supplied fuel and pumped fuel out of a container. Theelectrical fuel pump could not be tested due to extensive damage.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N5566J](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5566J), registered now, S/N 32-994, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32 (260)
- Registry model: [Piper PA-32-260](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (registry code 7103206) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 32-994
- Year built: 1968
- Airframe hours: 3208
- Engines: Lycoming O-540-E4C5 260 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: Annual, August 12, 2020, 45 hours before
- Departed: LQK, Pickens, SC
- Destination: GYH, Greenville, SC
- Airport: GYH, Donaldson Field Airport, runway 5, 8,000 × 150 ft, concrete
- Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B, Handheld GPS

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 63; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review April 3, 2020; seat: left; restraint: lap only; flight hours: 190 total, 23 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days, 25 in the last 30 days

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observed at: GYH, 1 nm away
- METAR: KGYH 242017Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 12/M01 A3031

## 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 20201124018239A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20201124018239A), Nov 24, 2020: Piper PA-32-260, Piedmont, SC, Destroyed. After performing touch and goes in the pattern at gyh the aircraft was departing the area and returning to lqk. The pilot reported engine problems and was…

## Docket (7 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 27, 2022, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=102338. 24.1 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11779762&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%206120_1%20Form_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Witness statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 591 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11778788&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Nov%2024%202020%20Rubin%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Maintenance records (item 3, PDF, 18 pages, 20.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11779006&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=AC%20Records%20(AF,%20Eng,%20Prop)_Redacted-Rel.pdf
- Engine examination (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 100 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11779772&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Engine%20examination%20of%20N5566J-Rel.pdf
- Weather reports and records (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 205 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11779782&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20weather%20LA054-Rel.pdf
- Carburetor icing prevention SAIB CE-09-35 (item 6, PDF, 3 pages, 104 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11780014&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Carb%20Ice%20sheet%20CE-09-35-Rel.pdf
- Photo array (item 7, PDF, 2 pages, 769 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=11780170&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Photo%20Array%20LA054-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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