- Date
- May 27, 1993, 11:45 local (16:45 UTC)
- Place
- Searcy, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5272YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930527015459A
- Case key
- 18759
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
Total power loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons. A factor was the unsuitable terrain.
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 as he was passing through 700 feet MSL after takeoff, he lost power on both engines as he adjusted the propellers. He stated that he immediately 'pushed everything forward.' He then turned back toward the airport with the intent of landing on the runway or the taxiway; however, both were occupied by aircraft. He then elected to land gear down in an open pasture. The nose gear collapsed during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
On May 27, 1993, at approximately 1145 central daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N5272Y, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after experiencing a loss of engine power to both engines, while on initial climb from the Searcy, Arkansas, municipal airport. The airplane, flown by a private pilot, had just departed on what was to have been a business cross country flight. There was no flight plan filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed throughout the area. The pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured.
The pilot stated that as he was passing through about 700 feet MSL, he lost power on both engines as he adjusted the propellers back to 2,400 RPM. He stated that he immediately "pushed everything forward to no avail." He then turned back toward the airport with the intention of landing on the runway or the taxiway. However, aircraft were on both and he elected to execute a forced landing to an open pasture, with the landing gear extended. During the landing roll the nose gear collapsed. The pilot stated that he never regained power on either engine. An inspection performed by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no anomalies in the engines or related systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5272Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2337
- Airframe hours
- 2,564
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Friedrich Enterprise, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 1993 · 1 hours before
- Destination
- CZE · Clarksville, AR
- Airport
- MO7 · Searcy Municipal, runway 19, 5,000 × 75 ft
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
- 49
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 375 total · 255 in this make and model · 325 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N5272Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.