ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44009
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| Date: | Thursday 14 September 2006 |
| Time: | 19:53 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250 Aztec |
| Owner/operator: | Polk Co Board of Commissioners |
| Registration: | N5941Y |
| MSN: | 27-3107 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1965 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TIO-540-C4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fort Meade, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Agricultural |
| Departure airport: | Bartow Airport, FL (BOW/KBOW) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The airplane was being used for mosquito control and was carrying Scourge insecticide (Bayer), a mixture of resmethrin, piperonyl butoxide, and naphtalene. A witness said the airplane passed overhead at low altitude. He heard the engines "throttle back, then rev up and sputter." He said he could tell the right engine was sputtering because "the propeller was turning slowly." He saw the airplane pitch up, roll to the right, and descend into the ground. The airplane immediately caught fire. The on-scene investigation revealed one blade on the left propeller assembly was curled aft and the other blade was curled forward. One blade on the right propeller assembly was curled aft and the other blade was straight. Both engines later were disassembled and inspected. Crankshaft rotation produced camshaft, valve, and accessory drive continuity on both engines. No anomalies were noted with either engine's lubrication, induction, fuel injector, exhaust, and ignition systems. Examination of the spark plugs and cylinders revealed normal burn patterns and color. All cylinders produced compression except the right engine's number 6 cylinder. According to the manufacturer, its intake and exhaust valve springs had lost tension as a result of having been exposed to the fire. Both the left and right propeller governor controls were in the high rpm position.
Probable Cause: A loss of power in the right engine while manuevering for reasons undetermined, and failure to maintain aircraft control which resulted in an inadvertent stall. Contributing factors were the airspeed below Vmc, and an altitude too low to afford a safe recovery..
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20060920X01368&key=1
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 05-Dec-2017 09:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-May-2023 01:22 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Other fatalities, Nature, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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