Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Mccall Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Mccall, Idaho 83638
Saturday, September 29, 2001 11:26 MDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
After the pilot made a normal-sounding base turn call for runway 34 on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the airplane was observed by witnesses to experience a nose drop and crash into a cattle pasture about 3/4 mile short of the runway. On-site examination disclosed wreckage and impact signatures consistent with an uncontrolled, right wing low, relatively low-speed impact, as well as physical and instrument evidence of a left engine power loss. However, the aircraft's left propeller was not feathered, and gear and flaps were found to be fully extended at the time of impact. The reason for the left engine power loss was not determined; however, the following findings potentially related to left engine performance were noted: both engines were approximately 300 hours past the manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls (TBO), evidence of improper idle mixture and idle stop adjustments to the left engine by maintenance personnel was discovered during post-accident fuel system component testing (a work order, dated the day before the accident but without any corresponding aircraft or engine logbook entries, further indicated that "MIXTURE IDLE CUTOFF" and "FUEL PRESSURE" had been adjusted on both engines), and the left side fuel selector was found in the AUX position (the aircraft owner's handbook specifies the MAIN position for descent and landing.) Post-accident testing demonstrated that the left propeller feathered quickly and smoothly when oil pressure was removed from the hub, and that the left propeller governor would cut oil pressure to the hub.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a loss of power on the left engine, resulting in loss of aircraft control. Factors included a loss of power on the left engine for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane for the engine-out condition.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/29/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1126 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Daylight Time |
| Event City | McCall |
| Event State | IDAHO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 83638 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 445211N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1160616W |
| Event Location Airport | McCall |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | MYL |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | -- |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 5020 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1050 Mountain Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | MYL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5020 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 9 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 191 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 4 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.26 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 5000 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 12839 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 29 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1145 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Apr 1 2003 4:20PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Boise, ID |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N954S |
| NTSB Number | SEA01FA175 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-30 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 30-1700 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jul 17 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 2100.9 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | LANCE R MACVITTIE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | TUCSON |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 857509619 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SUN |
| Departure City | Hailey |
| Departure State | ID |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1017 |
| Departure Time Zone | MDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | MYL |
| Destination City | McCall |
| Destination State | ID |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Sep 23 2002 7:14PM |
| User who most recently changed record | STAM |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 34 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |