Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Alpine County Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Markleeville, California 96120
Thursday, October 16, 2008 11:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The pilot was in cruise flight on a southerly heading at 13,700 feet mean sea level (msl), and initiated a 180-degree climbing left turn to 14,500 feet. He reported to air traffic control (ATC) that the engine was “missing badly,” and he was returning to his home airport. One minute later, he reported a complete loss of engine power. The pilot decided that he could not make his home base, and elected to head for an alternate airport with ATC guidance. The pilot indicated to ATC that he did not have the airport in sight and was trying to locate it with his global positioning satellite system (GPS). The last recorded radar position was 2.9 miles southeast of the airport and 6,200 feet above field elevation with the airplane on a northerly track. The airplane collided with trees 1.9 miles northwest of the airport while on a southerly heading. While maneuvering, the pilot overflew suitable, unobstructed places to land. Post accident download of an engine data management system displayed stable conditions initially followed by fluctuations in the fuel flow, as well as fluctuations of all six exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and cylinder head temperature (CHT) indications. Over the next two minutes, the readings smoothed out, and then the fuel flow increased while the EGT and CHT dropped to low values indicative of a loss of power. The engine was inspected and prepared for an engine run in a test cell. After replacing several damaged parts including the fuel pump, the engine started easily and ran smoothly throughout its entire power range with no anomalies discovered. The reasons for the fluctuations to the fuel flow, EGT and CHT were not determined.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to choose a suitable landing area.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/16/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1100 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | Markleeville |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 96120 |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 384546N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1194735W |
| Event Location Airport | Alpine County |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | M45 |
| 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 | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 5867 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1053 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 310 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KTVL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6264 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 14 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| 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) | 30.36 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| 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) | 25978 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA AWP Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 15 2009 3:37PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9581C |
| NTSB Number | WPR09FA015 |
| 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-28R-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7803267 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 1 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3151 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | Unknown |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Raymond S Wieveg |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Carson City |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89703 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Raymond S Wieveg |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Carson City |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 89703 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | MEV |
| Departure City | Minden |
| Departure State | NV |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1010 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | CMA |
| Destination City | Camarillo |
| Destination State | CA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Aug 28 2009 5:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 4443 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |