14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, December 31, 2012 in Mc Allen, TX
Probable Cause Approval Date: 06/12/2013
Aircraft: PIPER PA-24-250, registration: N8053P
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
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 taking off and climbing to about 1,200 feet above the ground, the airplane’s engine began to run rough and lost power. The pilot turned back toward the airport, but the airplane impacted terrain 200 feet short of the runway. The left main and nose landing gears separated from the airplane, the right wing was crushed, and the fuselage was buckled. Postaccident examination of the engine and related systems revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. According to a Federal Aviation Administration carburetor icing chart, conditions were conducive to carburetor icing at the time of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
On December 31, 2012, about 0940 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8053P, impacted terrain short of runway 31 at Mc Allen Miller International Airport (KMFE), Mc Allen, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from KMFE approximately 0935, and was destined for Weslaco, Texas (5T6).
According to the pilot’s accident report, after taking off and climbing to 1,200 feet, the engine began running rough and losing power. He initiated a turn back towards the airport, but the airplane impacted terrain 200 feet short of runway 31. The left main and nose landing gears separated from the airplane, and the right wing was crushed and the fuselage was buckled.
The engine was later examined by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector. According to the inspector’s report, no anomalies were noted with the ignition system. All spark plugs were dry, consistent with a lean mixture, and the intake system appeared normal. All pistons and valves moved with crankshaft movement. There was ample fuel (100LL) in all four tanks. Using the electric fuel pump, fuel pressure was at the top of the green arc on the fuel pressure gauge at any tank position selected. Fuel flow was observed to the carburetor and intake from all four tank positions. Operation of the engine driven fuel pump could not be verified. The carburetor finger screen was clean. It took about 3 to 4 seconds to restore fuel flow to the carburetor when the fuel selector was switched from "off" to a tank position (using the electric pump).
A Carburetor Icing Probability Chart was examined. Using the temperature (21 degrees C.) and dew point (16 degrees C.) that prevailed, the chart indicated moderate icing at cruise power and serious icing at descent power. Dew point compression was 5 degrees C., which equates to a relative humidity of about 69 percent.
http://registry.faa.gov/N8053P
NTSB Identification: CEN13LA118
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Monday, December 31, 2012 in Mc Allen, TX
Aircraft: Piper PA-24-250, registration: N8053P
Injuries: 1 Uninjured.
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 December 31, 2012, about 0940 central standard time, a Piper PA-24-250, N8053P, impacted terrain short of runway 31 at Mc Allen Miller International Airport KMFE), Mc Allen, Texas. The pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and no flight plan had been filed. The local flight originated from 5T6 approximately 1035.
Shortly after departure, pilot notified the control tower that the engine was running rough and losing power. He initiated a turn back towards the airport, but the airplane impacted terrain 200 feet short of the runway.
A small plane sits along the end of the runway Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, at the McAllen-Miller International Airport. The pilot was not hurt in the incident that prompted airport officials to delay some flights as the small plane was moved off onto a grassy area.
A pilot, the aircraft’s only occupant, was uninjured in the crash, but the plane itself was totaled, airport director Phil Brown said.
The plane was flying over South 10th Street about 9:30 a.m. when engine problems began.
The incident shut down the runway until airport crews could drag the plane away. Although the crash was minor, it did slow travel for some and led American Airlines to divert a flight to Corpus Christi.
“We’ve had some diversions and some delays,” Brown said.
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Crews have cleared away the wreckage of a small plane that crashed at McAllen-Miller International Airport early Monday morning. The single-engine private plane slammed into the ground just short of the main runway around 9:30. The pilot was the only person on board and he was not hurt. Airport officials say the plane had just taken off when it experienced trouble, turned around, and crashed as it tried to land. The crash shut down the runway for most of the morning.
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