Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

St Petersburg, Florida 34120
Wednesday, July 29, 1987 17:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

AFTER CLIMBING ABV 3000' DRG AN INSTRNL FLT, THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) HAD THE STUDENT LOWER THE GEAR & FLAPS TO A TAKEOFF CONFIGURATION & SLOW THE ACFT BELOW VMC (72 KTS). THE CFI THEN SHUT OFF FUEL TO THE LEFT ENG. THE STUDENT FOLLOWED THE CORRECT PROCEDURES TO FEATHER THE ENG & ACCELLERATED TO VYSE (95 KTS), BUT AT VYSE, THE ACFT WOULDN'T MAINT ALT. THE CFITOLD THE STUDENT TO TURN BACK TWD THE ARPT & RESTART THE ENG. DRG THE 1ST ATMT, THE PROP TURNED A FEW TIMES, BUT THE ENGDIDN'T START. RPRTDLY, THE STARTER WOULDN'T ENGAGE DRG SUCCESSIVE ATMTS & THE ACFT CONTD DSCNDG. THE CFI TOOK CTL OF THEACFT & 'RECHECKED GEAR AND FLAPS RETRACTED USING ELECTRIC HYDRAULIC PUMP' WHILE RESTARTS WERE ATMTD. THE PLTS COULDN'T REACH THE ARPT, SO THEY ELECTED TO LND THE ACFT IN A SHALLOW BAY. WITNESSES NOTED THAT THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS EXTENDED BFR THE ACFT WAS LNDD. WHEN THE ACFT WAS PULLED FROM THE WATER, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS IN THE DOWN PSN. HOWEVER, AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED NO REASON FOR THE LNDG GEAR SYS OR STARTER TO MALFUNCTION.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 7/29/1987
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ST PETERSBURG
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 34120
Event Date Year 1987
Event Date Month 7
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1746 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 48
Weather Observation Facility ID SPG
Elevation of weather observation facility 13
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 15
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) --
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 230
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 9
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 1140
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Jul 29 1987 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1950
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 34503
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 2:37PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N22GM
NTSB Number MIA87LA216
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name PIPER
Aircraft Model PA-23-160
Aircraft Series Identifier PA-23-160
Aircraft Serial Number 231817
Certified Max Gross Weight 4400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 1
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Nov 21 1986 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 51
Airframe Hours 5506
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Unknown
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name GEORGE C MOENCH
Aircraft Owner Street Address 1952 49TH STREET S
Aircraft Owner City ST.PETERSBURG
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33703
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name DAVID P. PAYNE
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address 5265 VENETIAN BLVD. NE
Operator City ST.PETERSBURG
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33703
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SPG
Departure City ST. PETERSBURG
Departure State FL
Departure Country
Departure Time 1630
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --