- Date
- January 27, 1989, 12:52 local (20:52 UTC)
- Place
- Carson City, NV
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N4391PPiper PA-23-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890127001419A
- Case key
- 40911
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
The NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
Loss of power on the left engine due to a foreign object which obstructed the fuel flow, and the pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above VMC during his attempted return to the airfield. Contributing to the accident was the lack of recent flight time by the pilot.
Analysis
While on crosswind leg after t/o, the pilot announced he had lost an engine and was returning to land. During a left turn back toward the arpt, the acft rolled inverted to the left and descended in a nose down attitude until impact. Exam revealed an extra needle valve loose in the left eng carburetor float bowl. Another needle valve and seat assembly was correctly installed in the carburetor. Numerous smooth bright spots of wear were found on the bottom surface of the grainy textured interior of the float bowl. The area around the fuel mixture metering assembly port was polished and the needle valve could be inserted in the port. Maintenance records revealed new engines had been installed on 10/30/79. Although records and witnesses indicated power problems with the left engine, no records indicated the carburetor float bowl had ever been removed after the engine had initially been installed on the aircraft.
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.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4391P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-1902
- Airframe hours
- 2,976
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1D, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Viking Air
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 7, 1988 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- O04 · Carson City, NV
- Airport
- 004 · Carson City, runway 27, 5,900 × 75 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
- 65
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 538 total · 104 in this make and model · 519 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 37 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RNO, 19 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.