- Date
- January 24, 1993, 17:15 local (Jan 25, 1993, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Eloy, AZ
- Injuries
- 4 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2144PPiper PA-23-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930124002519A
- Case key
- 27822
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
Partial loss of engine power due to fuel system contamination and a partially obstructed carburetor venturi, and the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. A factor in the accident was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection.
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
During the 1st takeoff roll, there was a loss of engine power and the pilot aborted the takeoff. He taxied back and ran up the engines. The left engine was run up three times until the 'puffing (or popping) noises' were no longer heard, and the pilot commenced another takeoff. Witnesses reported hearing one or more engines sputter during the initial climb. The pilot reported that he lost left engine power within 300 ft AGL. He made a steep bank left turn back toward the airport, lost control, and collided with the ground. The left engine and carburetor assembly were successfully test run. Clear, blue colored fuel was found in the left engine's carburetor and gascolator, and in the right main fuel tank. Cloudy, green colored sediment laden fuel was found in the right engine's carburetor, and in the right engine driven and auxiliary fuel pumps. A foreign substance, which was laboratory identified as being polystyrene, was found adhered to the inside of the right engine's venturi.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2144P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-744
- Airframe hours
- 3,000
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- R.Finkenbine & R. Kestler
- Registered owner
- R.Finkenbine & R. Kestler
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 8, 1992 · 35 hours before
- Destination
- RYN · Tucson, AZ
- Airport
- E60 · Eloy, runway 2, 3,900 × 60 ft, asphalt
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 820 total · 327 in this make and model · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.