Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Osteen, Florida 32764
Wednesday, April 4, 2001 11:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot in command, flight instructor stated the engine runup prior to takeoff was within normal parameters. The dual student performed a normal takeoff. While maneuvering 5 miles southeast of Lake Ashby, the dual student applied climb engine power and initiated a climb. The dual student stated that the right engine loss of power occurred at about 2,000 feet. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and turned back toward the airport. The right engine had a short power recovery and then failed completely. While maintaining VySE, 88 knots, the airplane was descending about 200 feet per minute. At this time it became evident that they could not make it back to the airport and would have to make a landing in a field. He assisted the flight instructor with the "Landing with an inoperative engine" checklist and at this time they feathered the right propeller. The field they picked looked to be flat with grass. After landing they found the braking was not effective on the very wet grass. At the end of the field there was a 12 feet wide and 4 feet deep canal that sloped down. The airplane slid off the embankment and landed hard on the next field. The airplane suffered landing gear damage. Postcrash examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector, showed the right engine magneto was inoperative The internal inspection of the magneto revealed that neither set of breaker points were opening. Examination of the right magneto by Teledyne Continental Motors personnel, under the supervision of an FAA inspector, showed that there were signatures indicating excessive temperature that suggest overheating of the rear bearing as the origin of the magneto malfunction. The Piper Aircraft Corporation, PA-44-180 Pilot Operating Handbook, states in Section 3, Emergency Procedures, Engine Inoperative Procedures, that if altitude permits, a restart may be attempted. If restart fails or if altitude does not permit restart, see Engine Securing Procedure. The Engine Securing Procedure states the propeller from the inoperative engine should be feathered.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot in command, flight instructor's delayed feathering of the right propeller after engine failure resulting in the airplane being unable to maintain altitude with the remaining engine and damage to the airplane during a forced landing in a field.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/4/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Osteen |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32764 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 285500N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0810500W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SFB |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 55 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | -- |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | -- |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | -- |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Calm |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.13 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 800 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 3 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 10987 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Volusia County Fire Department |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 4 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 14 2001 10:29AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Orlando |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N3060D |
| NTSB Number | MIA01LA109 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-44-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 44-7995147 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3800 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | AAIP |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 3 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 44 |
| Airframe Hours | 13585 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Comair Aviation Academy, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2700 Flight Line Ave. |
| Aircraft Owner City | Sanford |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32773 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | SFB |
| Departure City | Sanford |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1045 |
| 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 | Emergency landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 26 2001 10:11AM |
| User who most recently changed record | PREJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |