14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 04, 2012 in Kalispell, MT
Probable Cause Approval Date: 10/29/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28R-201T, registration: N38906
Injuries: 3 Minor.
NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
After takeoff, between 300 and 500 feet above ground level over a residential area, the airplane's engine started to sputter and lose power. The pilot selected the longest street on which to make a forced landing, lowered the flaps, and slowed the airplane to a minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane collided with a number of vehicles and trees, and, in the process, the left wing separated from the fuselage. The airplane rotated inverted and embedded itself into the front of a residential house.
Postaccident examination and testing of the left magneto revealed that the magneto’s distributor block bushing was worn to an extent that it provided significant radial play between the bushing and distributor block. The bushing, which holds the distributor gear axle in place, would permit the distributor gear to intermittently disengage from the drive gear. Once the distributor gear had disengaged from the drive gear, the internal timing of the magneto would be off, which could disrupt the normal ignition sequence and operation of the engine. If the pilot had switched to the right magneto, engine power would have likely been restored. The most recent magneto overhaul was performed in 1989. The engine manufacturer recommends that magnetos be overhauled or replaced 5 years after the date of manufacture or last overhaul, or 4 years after the date placed in service, whichever occurs first, without regard to accumulated operating hours since new or last overhaul.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:
The partial loss of engine power due to magneto malfunction. Contributing to the accident was the lack of adherence to the manufacturer’s recommended magneto overhaul schedule.
HISTORY OF THE FLIGHT
On February 4, 2012, at 1315 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, N38906, experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff, at Kalispell City Airport, Kalispell, Montana. The pilot initiated a forced landing on a residential street where during the landing, the airplane collided with parked vehicles, and a residence. The airplane was registered to the pilot and was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and his two passengers received minor injuries, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot stated to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he fueled the airplane with 45 gallons of AVGAS, taxied to pick up his passengers, and performed a complete engine run-up and preflight checks. During takeoff, the airplane behaved normally and accelerated smoothly. After takeoff, between 300 and 500 feet above ground level (agl) over a residential area, the airplane's engine started to sputter and lose power. The pilot selected the longest street on which he could make a forced landing. He lowered the flaps, and slowed the airplane to a minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane collided with a number of vehicles and trees, and in the process, the left wing separated from the fuselage. The airplane rotated inverted, and embedded itself into the front of a house. The pilot egressed through the pilot's side window, and he assisted with the egress of his passengers.
AIRCRAFT INFORMATION
The low-wing, four-seat, retractable landing gear airplane, serial number 28R-7703283, was manufactured in 1977. It was powered by a Continental Motors Incorporated (CMI) TSIO-360-F, serial number 305278, 200-hp engine, equipped with a Hartzell model BHC-C2YF-1BF constant speed propeller. A review of the airplane's maintenance records showed that an engine overhaul was completed on July 18, 1989. An annual inspection was completed on July 29, 2011, at a recorded tachometer (tach) time of 1,770.3 hours, and time since major overhaul (SMOH) of 322.3 hours. The tach time observed at the accident site was 1,772.65.
Engine Roughness Procedure
The Piper PA-28R-201T Cherokee Turbo Arrow III, Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) provides the following information concerning engine roughness.
Mixture – adjust for max. smoothness
Alternate Air – OPEN
Fuel Selector- switch tanks
Engine Gauges- check
Magneto Switch- L then R then both
“The magneto switch should then be moved to ‘L’ then ‘R’ then back to ‘BOTH.’ If operation is satisfactory on either magneto, proceed on that magneto at reduced power with full ‘RICH’ mixture to a landing at the first available airport.
WRECKAGE AND IMPACT
The main wreckage consisted of the fuselage, engine, tail, and right wing, which impacted a residence at ground level. The left wing had been sheared off at the wing root by a parked pickup truck located approximately 50 yards further up the airplane's line of travel. Light blue colored fluid was observed leaking out of the severed wing. There was no post-accident fire. The engine and cockpit area of the airplane was embedded into the building structure. The following day, Sunday February 5th, the airplane was recovered and moved to a storage location in Belgrade, Montana. During the recovery, approximately 45 gallons of AVGAS was recovered from both wing tanks combined.
On February 22, 2012, technical representatives from the airframe and engine manufacturer examined the airplane under the oversight of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector.
Both ailerons were attached to their respective wing, and control cables were attached to both the aileron bell cranks. The horizontal and vertical tail surfaces remained attached to the rear empennage section; the rudder and the stabilator remained attached. The fuel selector handle was in the left tank position; the throttle and mixture control levers were full forward. The AUX fuel pump switch was in the center OFF position. The auxiliary electric fuel pump was functionally tested by applying battery power to the airplane’s electrical system. The pump was found to function normally on both the low and high switch power settings, drawing in and discharging fuel. The fuel gascolator bowl was removed and bluish fluid consistent with AVGAS was observed. Engine power-train continuity was established by rotating the engine’s crankshaft. The engine driven fuel pump was removed, tested, and found to function normally. The magnetos remained attached to the engine and both produced spark at all of their ignition leads when the engine’s crankshaft was rotated by hand.
The airframe manufacturer technical representative reported that the airframe revealed no pre-impact failure to any flight control surface or flight control system component.
The engine manufacturer technical representative reported that the inspection of this engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have prevented its ability to produce rated horsepower.
TESTS & RESEARCH
Video
A surveillance video camera mounted on an airport hangar captured the airplane’s takeoff departure path. The video shows an airplane immediately after takeoff moving at a constant altitude approximately 75 feet above ground level (agl) from right to left across the screen at a constant speed.
Magneto
Under the direction of the NTSB IIC, an Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic removed both magnetos from the engine on April 5, 2013. Both magnetos were Bendix model S6LN-25. On April 15, 2013, under the supervision of an FAA inspector, both magnetos were placed in a test fixture, and tested at normal operating speeds. The right magneto, serial number A186072, produced spark on all posts. The left magneto, serial number A186084, produced spark on one post. The A&P mechanic and FAA inspector disassembled the magneto (SN: A186084) and found a worn bushing. This magneto was then packaged, sent to the Analytical Department of Continental Motors, Inc. (CMI), and examined under the supervision of an NTSB investigator. CMI technical experts determined that the magneto’s distributor block bushing was worn to an extent that it provided significant radial play between the bushing and distributor block. The bushing, which holds the distributor gear axle in place, was worn to such an extent that it would permit the distributor gear to intermittently disengage from the drive gear. Once the distributor gear disengaged from the drive gear, the internal timing of the magneto would be off, which could disrupt the normal ignition sequence and operation of the engine.
Review of the engine maintenance records showed that the magneto was last overhauled on July 18, 1989, and had accumulated 324.65 hours since overhaul. Review of the S-20 Series Magneto Service Support Manual showed CMI recommends magnetos be inspected after the first 500 hours in service and every 500 hours thereafter. In addition, magnetos should be overhauled or replaced 5 years after the date of manufacture or last overhaul, or 4 years after the date placed in service, whichever occurs first, without regard to accumulated operating hours since new or last overhaul.
NTSB Identification: WPR12LA092
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 04, 2012 in Kalispell, MT
Aircraft: PIPER PA-28R-201T, registration: N38906
Injuries: 3 Minor.
This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On February 4, 2012, at 1345 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, N38906, experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff, at Kalispell City Airport, Kalispell, Montana. The pilot attempted to land on a residential street. The airplane collided with parked vehicles, ending up inside the first floor of a two story home. The pilot operated the airplane under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The commercial pilot and his two passengers received minor injures, and the airplane was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot stated to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he fueled the airplane with 45 gallons of avgas, taxied to pick up his passengers, and performed a complete engine run-up and preflight checks. During takeoff the airplane behaved normally and accelerated smoothly. After takeoff, between 300 and 500 feet above ground level (agl), the airplane's engine started to sputter and lose power. The airplane was over a residential area. The pilot selected the longest street on to which to make a forced landing. He lowered the flaps and slowed the airplane to a minimum controllable airspeed. The airplane collided with a number of vehicles and trees, and in the process, the left wing separated from the fuselage. The airplane rotated inverted and embedded itself into the front of a domestic house. The pilot egressed through the pilot's side window, and he assisted the egress of his passengers.
The airplane that crashed into a Kalispell home was removed from the structure Sunday and a fire official estimated total damage at roughly $50,000.
Kalispell Fire Department Chief Dave Dedman said the plane, a single-engine Piper, is headed to a shop for inspection by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Investigators will look for the reason the plane crashed shortly after taking off Saturday afternoon from the Kalispell City Airport.
Two passengers and a pilot survived the wreck and took themselves to the hospital; the airplane is registered to Michael Seaman of Kalispell, who could not be reached for comment Sunday by press time. Two dogs also survived the crash, as did the owner of the home the plane hit.
"We have turned the house back over to the homeowner," Dedman said. "He's got a company coming in to do some safety work in there and close up the hole in the wall and get his (power and gas) services going."
The wreck occurred on Ruddy Duck Drive, and that road and Golden Eye Court were slated to reopen Sunday afternoon after being closed because of the crash, according to the fire chief.
On Sunday, neighbors who witnessed the incident or its aftermath said they are relieved the three people and their pets survived when the airplane clipped a couple of trees, hit three unoccupied cars, and then flipped upside down and slid into the house. The airplane passengers sustained minor injuries, according to an FAA spokesman.
"I was hoping no one was dead," said Barbara Sullivan, who lives kitty corner from the site. "That was the first thing I thought. And I'm amazed that nobody is."
Others in the neighborhood who witnessed the airplane coming down told Sullivan it appeared the pilot was trying to land on Ruddy Duck, so he must have known he was in trouble. One neighbor told the Daily Inter Lake the group was flying to Havre; the FAA could not confirm the destination.
In an email, FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the cause of the crash remains unknown. He noted the plane is a Piper PA28, and the lead investigating agency is the National Transportation Safety Board.
"The NTSB investigator usually posts a basic preliminary report on the agency's website ... within a week or two of an accident," Kenitzer said in the email. "However, it typically takes NTSB months to come up with a probable cause for accidents."
Kalispell City Airport manager Fred Leistiko said the plane was based at that airport, and it had just rolled out of its hangar and refueled before taking off. The airport doesn't keep a log of flight plans because it doesn't have a traffic control tower; pilots use their own discretion and judgment about weather and other factors.
"We're very fortunate no one was (seriously) injured," Leistiko said.
***
The runway isn't far from the neighborhood where the plane crashed, so the wreck likely will affect the controversial discussion about an airport expansion. The project was estimated at $15 million a couple of years ago, with the FAA paying the bulk of the cost.
Airport Advisory Board member Richard Rapacilo said the Kalispell City Council is just weeks away from voting on the airport improvement project. Among other things, it would widen and move the runway.
"They want to realign the runway and move it a little to the south so the airplane traffic won't be flying through the center of town," Rapacilo said.
He said the last time a plane crashed into the neighborhood was five years ago. An advocacy group called the Quiet Skies Committee has concerns about the negative effects of the airport, and Rapacilo believes members will use the accident to trump up support for their cause and try to shut down the airport.
Source: http://missoulian.com
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