Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Georgetown, Texas 78626
Saturday, April 3, 2004 9:00 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Following a loss of engine power in the single-engine airplane, the 1,050-hour pilot initiated a forced landing while on approach to Runway 36. The pilot initiated a 400-foot per minute descent, reduced power to 23 inches of manifold pressure, and switched the fuel selector from the left to the right fuel tank. Upon reaching a pattern altitude of 1,800 feet approximately four miles west of his intended destination, he entered a tight right downwind for Runway 36. When the airplane was abeam the runway numbers, the airspeed was 10 knots above the landing gear extension speed, so he reduced manifold pressure to 18 inches. The pilot turned on the fuel boost pump, and pushed the mixture and prop controls forward. He extended the downwind leg to further reduce speed. While turning base, he extended the landing gear and pushed the throttle forward, but the engine would not respond. However, he does not recall the RPM setting. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, so he reduced airspeed to 80 knots, and executed a forced landing on a feeder road adjacent to Interstate 35. Prior to touchdown, he verified that the fuel boost pump was on, the fuel selector was in the detent, and the master and ignition switches were on. He also pushed the mixture and propeller controls to the full forward position. The flaps were never extended. The engine was test run with a two-bladed propeller. The fuel-injected engine was run on the airframe utilizing a provisional fuel line that was attached to the right fuel tank's inboard fitting and a plastic gas can. The engine started and ran normal from idle to 1,500 RPM without interruption. There was no mixture rise observed when leaning the mixture with the engine running at 1,500 RPM. A magneto check was conducted at 1,500 RPM. The engine ran smooth with the RPM dropping approximately 100-125 RPM on both the left and right magneto positions. The cockpit fuel pressure gauge was sluggish and indicated slightly low. A test gauge was installed that indicated 20 psi at idle with the boost pump off and 22 psi with the boost pump on. At 1,500 RPM, the test gauge indicated 25 psi with the boost pump on or off. The fuel vents were also absent of debris. The induction air filter and induction system "appeared" normal and unobstructed. No mechanical anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal engine operation.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/3/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 900 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | Georgetown |
| Event State | TEXAS |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78626 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | -- |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | -- |
| Event Location Latitude | 304026N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0974027W |
| 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 | 5 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 160 |
| Airport Elevation | 800 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 855 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GTU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 1100 |
| 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) | 18 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 14 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 0 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 1178 |
| 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) | 15890 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Southwest Region |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 3 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 918 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2004 7:30AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | San Antonio FAA/FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N47976 |
| NTSB Number | FTW04LA101 |
| 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-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7880030 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 15 2003 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 5083.6 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Lance 976 Corporation |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 7727 San Felipe Suite 204 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Houston |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 77063 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Stephen Deetz |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 2809 Mason Court |
| Operator City | Houston |
| Operator State | TX |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 77006 |
| 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 | DWH |
| Departure City | Houston |
| Departure State | TX |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 805 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GTU |
| Destination City | Georgetown |
| Destination State | TX |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach - VFR pattern - final approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 25 2004 6:53PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | NA |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |