Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Prospect, Pennsylvania 16052
Tuesady, December 23, 2003 11:05 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The flight instructor and the multi-engine student were conducting single-engine training. Approximately 2,000 - 2,500 feet agl, the flight instructor reduced power on the right engine to a zero-thrust setting. After maneuvering the airplane for 4-5 minutes, the instructor shut down the engine and feathered the propeller. After performing single engine maneuvers for about 5 minutes, the student attempted to restart the right engine "per the published procedure," which included unfeathering the propeller, but was unsuccessful. The instructor then noticed that the airplane had descended to an altitude of 1,300-1,500 feet agl, so he had the student fly the airplane while he attempted to restart the windmilling engine. When the airplane was 500-700 feet agl, the flight instructor took over the controls, and told the student that they were going to land in a field below. The flight instructor set up an approach to the field, and deployed the landing gear and 25-degrees flaps. While on the short-final leg of the approach, the airplane hit the tops of some trees bordering the field, then impacted the ground. A post-accident inspection of the left and right engines revealed no mechanical anomalies. A review of the flight instructor's logbook revealed that he had accumulated 4.8 hours of multi-engine airplane flight instruction experience. The flight school had an altitude of 3,000 feet agl established as their minimum for performing intentional single engine shut-down. According to the Piper PA-44 information manual, intentional one-engine operations should not be performed at an altitude of less than 4,000 feet above the ground.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The flight instructor's improper in-flight decision, which included an inappropriate altitude selection for intentional single engine operation. Factors were the inability of the flight instructor to restart the right engine for undetermined reasons, and the early deployment of flaps and/or landing gear that did not allow the airplane to clear trees.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/23/2003 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1105 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Prospect |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 16052 |
| Event Date Year | 2003 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405352N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0800445W |
| 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 | 1055 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 331 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BTP |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1248 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 9 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 29 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Few |
| 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) | 11 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 210 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.86 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16732 |
| NTSB Notification Source | ERROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 24 2003 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 7 2004 11:17AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Allegheny FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N432PA |
| NTSB Number | IAD04LA005 |
| 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 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 4496058 |
| 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 | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 21 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 62.3 |
| Airframe Hours | 2077.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | E W Holding Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 4220 PanAm Blvd. St Lucie International Airport |
| Aircraft Owner City | Ft. Pierce |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 34946 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Beaver Aviation Service Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3 Piper St. Beaver County Airport |
| Operator City | Beaver Falls |
| Operator State | PA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 15010 |
| 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 | BVI |
| Departure City | Beaver Falls |
| Departure State | PA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1030 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| 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? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 12 2004 1:04PM |
| User who most recently changed record | PEAR |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |