Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Beatrice Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Beatrice, Nebraska 68310
Sunday, October 3, 2004 15:20 CDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The airplane was destroyed during a post-impact fire following a forced landing shortly after takeoff. The pilot had performed a precautionary landing after noticing the exhaust gas temperature indicator for the number one cylinder of the right engine showed elevated temperatures. The pilot called his mechanic to discuss the problem and they decided that "it was most likely an instrument or probe issue as there was no corroborating systems." The pilot fueled the main fuel tanks with 72 total gallons of fuel prior to departing BIE. The pilot reported that the winds favored runway 31. The pilot stated that he held the brakes as he increased power on both engines to 22 inches of manifold pressure. The pilot reported that he released the brakes and accelerated through redline and rotated without anomalies. The pilot stated that during initial climb, between 30 and 60 feet above ground level, he observed the right engine exhaust gas temperature "going through the high limit" which was followed by a "whooshing air sound and violent yaw to the right." The pilot reported that the airplane was "still low and slow" and it "never got to blue line [Vyse] or enough altitude to nose down for airspeed." The pilot stated that he did not have "enough altitude or climb power" to clear the power lines off the north side of the airport. The pilot reported that he did not have "enough airspeed for effective directional control" and he "continued shallow right turn with continued buffeting." The pilot stated he decided to land diagonally across highway 77. The aircraft impacted a highway embankment and a post-impact fire ensued. No discrepancies were found with either engine that would have prevented normal operation. A fuel sample was taken from the source that fueled the accident airplane prior to the accident. The fuel sample was examined and was void of visible contamination and/or water. Both propellers were found in the feathered position.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The loss of right engine power undetermined reasons. Factors to the accident were the loss of engine power at a low altitude and below the single engine best rate of climb airspeed (Vyse), and the unsuitable terrain encountered during the subsequent forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/3/2004 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1520 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Daylight Time |
| Event City | Beatrice |
| Event State | NEBRASKA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 68310 |
| Event Date Year | 2004 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 401805N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0964515W |
| Event Location Airport | Beatrice Municipal Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | BIE |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 360 |
| Airport Elevation | 1324 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1534 Central Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | BIE |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1324 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 1 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CDT |
| 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) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 6 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 290 |
| 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) | 30.05 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 2923 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 16842 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 3 2004 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1700 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 28 2004 12:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Federal Aviation Administration - Lincoln FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N173DC |
| NTSB Number | CHI05CA001 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-23-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 23-994 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | -- |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Ben & Karen Rogers |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 3411 State Highway 85 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Albany |
| Aircraft Owner State | MO |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 64402 |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | BIE |
| Departure City | Beatrice |
| Departure State | NE |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1520 |
| Departure Time Zone | CDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | K19 |
| Destination City | Albany |
| Destination State | MO |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff - initial climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | No |
| Date of most recent change to record | Nov 5 2004 5:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | DINC |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 31 |
| Runway Length | 4401 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |