ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44546
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| Date: | Sunday 6 March 2005 |
| Time: | 14:13 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-23-250 Aztec |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N2343Z |
| MSN: | 27-8054018 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1979 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5336 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Coatesville , PA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | York, PA (THV) |
| Coatesville, PA (40N) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot took off from his home airport, and flew to an airport approximately 1 hour away. Prior to his return flight, he fueled the twin-engine airplane with 20 gallons of fuel, with 10 gallons added to each outboard fuel tank. About 45 minutes after departing the intermediate airport, witnesses observed the airplane on final approach to the pilot's home airport. During the approach, the airplane made a "hard left turn," and impacted a field. One witness reported hearing "at least one engine running," and another witness reported hearing the airplane's engine "throttle, and then no throttle, and throttle again," prior to the impact. Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that both the right inboard and right outboard fuel tanks were ruptured; however, more than 15 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wing. The right fuel selector valve and handle were selected to the "inboard" position, and the right engine propeller blades displayed rotational signatures. Both the left inboard and left outboard fuel tanks remained intact. The outboard tank contained a "trace" amount of fuel, and the inboard tank contained about 10 gallons of fuel. The left engine fuel selector valve was selected to the outboard tank, and no fuel was observed in the fuel line from the left engine fuel pump to the fuel servo. A "trace" amount of fuel was observed in the left engine fuel distributor, as well as the regulator section of the fuel servo. In addition, the left engine propeller revealed no rotational signatures and was not in the feathered position. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were noted with either the airplane or the engines. The procedure outlined in the pilot operating handbook, for a loss of engine power in flight, called for the pilot to feather the propeller of the failed engine, to reduce the yaw that would occur in the direction of that engine.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadequate remedial action during an engine failure, which resulted in a loss of airplane control. A factor was the pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation to one engine, and its subsequent loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20050315X00313&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] |
| 06-Dec-2017 08:01 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
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