# NTSB LAX07LA180: Piper PA-24-250, N146P, Winslow, AZ, May 23, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: May 23, 2007, 15:30 local (22:30 UTC) - Place: Winslow, AZ - Coordinates: 35.104167, -111.032218 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.1042&lon=-111.0322&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report September 26, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 65908 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX07LA180 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65908/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07LA180 ## Probable cause Loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power, cruise - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - On ground/water collision with object, emergency landing - object - sign ## Analysis The pilot was on a cross-country flight when the engine lost power and he initiated a forced landing to a paved road. The right wing impacted a road sign during the landing roll. The pilot was able to restart the engine after the accident and taxied the airplane off of the road. Further examination of the engine after it was recovered was inconclusive as to the cause of the power loss. ## Factual narrative On May 23, 2007, about 1530 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N146P, experienced a loss of engine power and made a forced landing on Meteor Crater Road near Winslow, Arizona. G & B Investment Management operated the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot and a passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal cross-country flight that departed Skypark Airport (BTF), Bountiful, Utah, about 1000. The flight was destined for San Antonio, Texas. A visual flight rules (VFR) flight plan had been filed, but not activated. According to the pilot he had stopped in Cortez, Colorado, to refuel the airplane; with no problems encountered. The next refueling stop was to be in Artesia, New Mexico; however, he decided to refuel in Boulder City, Nevada, due to rerouting for weather considerations. He closed the VFR flight plan in Boulder City. Prior to leaving Boulder City, he tried to open the VFR flight plan for the remainder of the flight, but had a difficult time. He took off from Boulder City, and continued his attempt to open his VFR flight plan to no avail. The pilot stated that they "picked up weather" from Flagstaff, Arizona, which indicated strong headwinds. He decided to make a refueling stop at Winslow-Lindbergh Regional Airport (INW), Winslow. While in the vicinity of INW, the pilot reported that the airplane's engine began to sputter. He leaned the mixture to see if that would correct the problem, and when it did not, he enriched the mixture. That also had no effect on the engine. He noted that the oil temperature and oil pressure gauges were normal, as well as the fuel flow gauge. He switched the fuel pump on and switched fuel tanks. At that point, the pilot indicated that the engine quit and he was not able to restart it. He made a forced landing on the road and both wings contacted reflector signs. The pilot indicated that there was about 15 gallons of fuel remaining in each fuel tank, which equates to about 1/2 tank of fuel for each tank. He also reported that a 100-hour inspection had been completed on the airplane the day he departed on the accident flight. Prior to the recovery of the airplane, the pilot was able to start the engine and taxied down the highway and parked it in a parking lot. The pilot did not make any repairs to the airplane prior to starting the engine. Inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) examined the airplane at Air Transport, Phoenix, Arizona, on May 31, 2008. The only discrepancy noted was that the fuel bladder in the left tank had all but one of the retention snaps detached. No other abnormalities were found that would have prevented normal operations. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N146P](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N146P), registered now, S/N 24-366 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-24-250 - Registry model: [Piper PA-24-250](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (registry code 7102404) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 24-366 - Airframe hours: 2821 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-AFSE5 250 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, May 1, 2007, 4 hours before - Departed: BTF, Bountiful, UT - Destination: SAT, San Antonio, TX - Flight plan: VFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review October 1, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 155 total, 17 in this make and model, 68 as pilot in command, 21 in the last 90 days, 12 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 315° at 17 knots, gusting 25 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 36 °F - Altimeter: 29.92 inHg - Observed at: INW, 15 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 20070523009839A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070523009839A), May 23, 2007: Piper PA24250, Winslow, AR, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot stated that while enroute to Winslow AZ airport, about 20 miles west, he noticed the airspeed decrease along with a decrease in RPM. He also said… ## Other investigations on N146P (2) 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. - [NTSB SEA08CA092](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08CA092), Mar 7, 2008: Piper PA-24 (N146P), Bountiful, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to extend the landing gear. - [NTSB FTW02LA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA173), Jun 8, 2002: Piper PA-24-250 (N146P), Provo, UT, substantial damage. Probable cause: the total loss of engine power for reasons undetermined. 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.