# NTSB IAD05LA123: Piper PA-23-250, N40504, Smoketown, PA, August 18, 2005 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 18, 2005, 19:20 local (23:20 UTC) - Place: Smoketown, PA - Coordinates: 40.04111, -76.201385 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0411&lon=-76.2014&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO-13 - NTSB case key (mKey): 62275 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=IAD05LA123 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/62275/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD05LA123 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power during the climb for undetermined reasons, resulting in a forced landing. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, climb - reason for occurrence undetermined - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency landing - terrain condition - crop - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis After departing the runway, the flight instructor felt a sudden power surge and yaw; however, he was unable to identify which engine was malfunctioning. After verifying proper engine control positions, he took control of the airplane from the student. He then retracted the landing gear to lessen the aerodynamic drag, and continued the climb, but the airspeed decayed towards the minimum controllable airspeed. He subsequently elected to perform a forced landing. During the landing, the airplane was substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. ## Factual narrative On August 18, 2005, about 1920 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, N40504, was substantially damaged during a forced landing, after takeoff from Smoketown Airport (S37), Smoketown, Pennsylvania. The certified flight instructor and certificated private pilot student were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight, conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the student, after arriving at 1800 he preflighted the airplane. All control surfaces were "free and clear" and all airframe components were intact and working properly. No water or contaminants were revealed when the fuel system was sumped, and all fuel tanks were full. At approximately 1830 after the instructor arrived they discussed the flight lesson, boarded the airplane, and started the engines. No anomalies were noted with the electric boost pumps, all the engine instruments indicated normal pressures, the magnetos were checked, and both propellers cycled normally. According to the flight instructor, the airplane departed from runway 28, which was 2,400 feet long. As the airplane climbed, he felt a sudden power surge and yaw as they were passing over the approximate location of the departure end of the runway; however, he was unable to identify which engine was malfunctioning. After verifying that the mixture controls, propeller controls, and throttle controls were "full forward", he took control of the airplane from the student. He then retracted the landing gear in an attempt to lessen the aerodynamic drag, and continue the climb, but observed the airspeed decaying towards the minimum controllable airspeed. He subsequently elected to perform a forced landing to a cornfield. During the landing, the airplane's wings, fuselage, and right propeller were damaged. The flight instructor held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings including airplane multi-engine-land. He reported a total flight time of 2,386 flight hours, with 632 hours in multi-engine airplanes and 207.6 hours in the Piper Aztec. His last FAA second-class medical certificate was issued on May 19, 2005. The student held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single and multi-engine land. He reported a total flight time of 592.4 hours, with 373.5 hours in multi-engine airplanes and 167.4 hours in the Piper Aztec. His last FAA third-class medical certificate was issued on January 10, 2005. The airplane was manufactured in 1973. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on October 1, 2004. At the time of the inspection, the airplane had accrued 11,121.7 total hours of operation. A postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N40504](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N40504-2015-05-08), registration cancelled 2015-05-08, S/N 27-7405235, built 1973 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-23-250 - Registry model: [Piper PA-23-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-23-250) (registry code 7102308) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 27-7405235 - Airframe hours: 11121.7 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 250 horsepower reciprocating; Lycoming IO-540 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 1, 2004 - Departed: S37, Smoketown, PA - Destination: S37 - Airport: S37, Smoketown Airport, runway 28, 2,400 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 24; injuries: none; flight instructor, commercial, airline transport; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2005; seat: right; flight hours: 2,386 total, 208 in this make and model, 2,360 as pilot in command, 220 in the last 90 days, 90 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 42; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 592 total, 167 in this make and model, 522 as pilot in command, 40 in the last 90 days, 19 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Dusk - Wind: 150° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: LNS, 6 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20050818022529A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050818022529A), Aug 18, 2005: Piper PA23250, Smoketown, PA, Destroyed. (-23) The aircraft departed runway 28 at Smoketown Airport. At approximately 100' AGL the aircraft lost power. The CFI [privacy data omitted] took the controls… 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.