- Date
- October 11, 2013, 16:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Cody, WY
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N31BAPiper PA 28-180
- Defining event
- Emergency descent: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 19, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- Case key
- 88189
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
A loss of engine power during climb to cruise for reasons that could not be determined due to no postaccident examination.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that about 15 minutes after departure and during the climb to cruise altitude, the engine lost power. The pilot checked the cockpit gauges and switched fuel tanks, however the engine would not restart. A forced landing was initiated and during the descent in mountainous terrain, the airplane collided with trees and the terrain. The wreckage has not been recovered and the reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that about 15 minutes after departure and during the climb to cruise altitude, the engine lost power. The pilot checked the cockpit gauges and switched fuel tanks, however, the engine would not restart. A forced landing was initiated and during the descent in mountainous terrain, the airplane collided with trees and the terrain. The wreckage has not been recovered and the reason for the loss of engine power was not determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N31BA
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28-180 (180)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-2673
- Built
- 1965
- Airframe hours
- 5,876
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Betzold James E
- Registered owner
- Betzold James E
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2013
- Departed
- COD · Cody, WY
- Destination
- U02 · Blackfoot, ID
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
- 61
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 12, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 2,400 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 11, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 11.6 MB in all.