# NTSB WPR09LA395: Piper PA-38-112, N86GW, Glendale, AZ, August 12, 2009 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 12, 2009, 10:10 local (17:10 UTC) - Place: Glendale, AZ - Coordinates: 33.506668, -112.304725 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.5067&lon=-112.3047&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report July 1, 2010 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminstration - NTSB case key (mKey): 74515 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR09LA395 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/74515/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74515 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09LA395 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Initial climb: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot/owner was on a solo instructional flight when the engine lost power during the upwind leg after takeoff. During the forced landing in a dirt field, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The airplane was examined by investigators following recovery. The engine was started and ran smoothly for 5 minutes at various power settings. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were noted with the examination of the recovered airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation. ## Factual narrative On August 12, 2009, about 1010 mountain standard time (MST), a Piper PA-38-112, N86GW, made a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Glendale Municipal Airport, Glendale, Arizona. The student pilot, who is also the owner, was operating the airplane under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The student pilot was not injured; the airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The local instructional flight departed Phoenix, Arizona, about 0930. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The student pilot reported that after completing his seventh touch-and-go, and on the upwind leg after reaching 400-500 feet above ground level (agl), the engine lost power. He attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. During the forced landing onto a dirt field, the outboard section of the left wing was damaged. The student pilot stated he had recently purchased the airplane from the estate of the previous owner. The airplane was recovered from the dirt parking lot for further examination. On August 19, 2009, an examination of the airplane was conducted by FAA inspectors at Air Transport, Inc., Phoenix. The engine was started and ran smoothly for about 5 minutes. No preexisting mechanical anomalies were noted with the examination of the recovered airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation. ## Aircraft - Registration: N86GW (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-38-112 - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 38-79A0093 - Airframe hours: 3580 - Engines: LYCOMING O-235 SERIES 115 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, April 29, 2009, 34 hours before - Departed: GEU, Glendale, AZ - Destination: DVT, Phoenix, AZ - Airport: GEU, Glendale Municipal Airport, runway 19, 7,150 × 100 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Student pilot; age 27; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 5, 2009; seat: left; flight hours: 40 total, 27 in this make and model, 40 in the last 90 days, 24 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 4 knots - Visibility: 20 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 15,000 ft broken - Temperature: 97 °F, dew point 55 °F - Altimeter: 29.93 inHg - Observed at: GUE, 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 20090812016249A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20090812016249A), Aug 12, 2009: Piper PA38112, Glendale, AZ, Substantial damage. (-23) [privacy data omitted] is a student pilot who departed from phoenix deer valley airport and flew to Glendale Municipal Airport to practice take offs and… ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 2, 2010, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=74515. 287 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 275 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329627&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Statement Of Examination by FAA (item 2, .PDF, 12 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40329628&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Statement%20Of%20Examination%20by%20FAA-Redacted.PDF 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.