Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Westerly State Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Westerly, Rhode Island 02891
Saturday, March 1, 2003 14:55 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot and pilot rated passenger departed with the fuel tanks half-full. They alternated flying duties while performing touch-and-go landings. After three landings, the pilot positioned the fuel selector from the left main fuel tank to the right main fuel tank. During the sixth approach, the pilot rated passenger was manipulating the controls. While turning onto final approach, the pilot rated passenger reduced the throttle to idle and turned the carburetor heat off. While on an approximate 1/2-mile final leg, the airplane flew below the glidepath and drifted to the right. At the time, the pilot was looking out the left side and to the rear of the airplane. The pilot rated passenger input throttle control to correct the descent rate, but the engine did not respond. The pilot rated passenger alerted the pilot to the problem, and the pilot took control of the airplane. He attempted a restart procedure, which included positioning the fuel selector to the left main fuel tank, verifying that the fuel pump was on, and cycling the ignition and throttle. The engine did not restart and the pilot subsequently performed a forced landing into trees about 500 feet short of the runway. The pilot rated passenger reported that his biannual flight review was expired, he had no flight experience within the preceding 12 months, and no flight experience in the make and model accident airplane. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions. The inspector stated that there was fuel in both main fuel tanks, the fuel selector, and the carburetor bowl. Review of FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook, revealed: "The ability to estimate the distance an airplane will glide to a landing is the real basis of all power-off accuracy approaches and landings. This will largely determine the amount of maneuvering that may be done from a given altitude. In addition to the ability to estimate distance, it requires the ability to maintain the proper glide while maneuvering the airplane."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot-in-command's delayed remedial action when the airplane flew below the glidepath, and a total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/1/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1455 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Westerly |
| Event State | RHODE ISLAND |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 02891 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 412058N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0714812W |
| Event Location Airport | Westerly State Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | WST |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.25 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 70 |
| Airport Elevation | 81 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1453 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | WST |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 81 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 5000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 3200 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 3 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -1 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 200 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.23 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 14756 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA New England Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 1 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1600 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 5 2004 4:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Bedford, MA |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8547N |
| NTSB Number | NYC03LA060 |
| 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-28-235 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-11346 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 4 2002 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 15 |
| Airframe Hours | 4100 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Reynaldo Texidor |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ledyard |
| Aircraft Owner State | CT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 06339 |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | WST |
| Departure City | Westerly |
| Departure State | RI |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1450 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | WST |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - turn to base |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 13 2003 2:12PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 25 |
| Runway Length | 4010 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |