- Date
- April 10, 1992, 15:59 local (21:59 UTC)
- Place
- Missoula, MT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N3494PPiper PA-23-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920410012129A
- Case key
- 41653
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 blockage of the left engine induction air filter, inability to maintain the proper rate of descent, and delayed extension of the landing gear. Factors contributing to the accident were icing conditions, wing ice, and rough/uneven 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 and pilot rated passenger (right seat) departed in the PA-23 and climbed to 11000 feet on a local round robin flight. The aircraft was not equipped with wing or propeller deice/anti ice systems. Missoula reported several scattered, broken and overcast cloud layers below 11000 feet during the afternoon and the surface temp peaked at 44 degrees f. at 11000 feet the pilots encountered a vibration and loss of left engine power and initiated a return to Missoula for landing. Unable to maintain altitude with partial power a forced landing was executed short of runway 25 at the Missoula airport. Although an attempt was made to lower the landing gear prior to the forced landing the nose landing gear collapsed during rollout when it struck a gopher hole. Airport ARFF personnel observed ice detaching from the aircraft wing(s) following the accident and FAA personnel inspecting the aircraft subsequent to the accident reported that the left induction air filter was heavily soaked with water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3494P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 23-1470
- Airframe hours
- 5,312
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B3B, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pearson, Erik & Crow, Charles
- Registered owner
- Pearson, Erik & Crow, Charles
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 15, 1991 · 227 hours before
- Departed
- 32S · Stevensville, MT
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 752 total · 250 in this make and model · 620 as pilot in command · 249 in the last 90 days · 124 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 39 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MSO, 1 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.