Airport
Area Accident History:On September 4, 2009, about 1045 Pacific daylight time,
a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N2482R, was destroyed during a forced landing
following a loss of engine power during takeoff initial climb from the Oroville
Municipal Airport (OVE), Oroville, California. The airplane was registered to
and operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot and his passenger sustained minor
injuries. Two first responders who responded to the accident sustained minor
injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was
filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight was originating at the
time of the accident with an intended destination of Chester, California.
The pilot reported that as the airplane ascended to 200 feet above ground level
(agl), he felt a "slight bump" in the airframe, followed by two more bumps. The
pilot initiated a 180-degree turn towards the departure runway due to "irregular
terrain and trees below." The pilot stated that the engine was running at the
time, but not producing any power. As the descent continued, the engine began
"sputtering very badly" and "losing power very quickly." Subsequently, the
airplane struck two fences and landed hard on the ground. During the landing
roll, the airplane impacted a large ditch and came to rest upright. The pilot
and passenger exited the airplane and observed a post-accident fire originating
from the front part of the airplane.
Examination of the recovered airframe revealed that the fuselage and right wing
were consumed by fire. The left wing was mostly intact. The fuel selector valve
was observed in the "LEFT" position. The throttle and mixture control levers
were observed in the "FULL FORWARD" position. The carburetor heat control lever
was in the "COLD" position. Both the left and right fuel tanks were breeched.
The airframe fuel gascolator was consumed by fire. The screen was present with
molten material surrounding it. The bowl was full of debris.
Examination of the recovered engine revealed that all of the engine mounts were
intact. The left and right magnetos remained attached to the engine accessory
mounting pads and exhibited severe thermal damage. The fuel pump remained secure
at the mounting pad and exhibited thermal damage. The fuel system was intact
from the firewall forward and all fittings to the fuel pump and carburetor were
secure at their respective attach points. The carburetor remained secure at the
mounting pad. The float bowl was separated from the carburetor and was not
located. The throttle and mixture controls remained secure to their respective
levers.
The top spark plugs, magnetos, rocker arm covers, and vacuum pump were removed.
The engine crankshaft was manually rotated by hand using the propeller.
Mechanical continuity was established throughout the engine and valve train.
Thumb compression and suction was obtained on all four cylinders.
No anomalies were noted with the recovered airframe or engine that would have
precluded normal operation.
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= = =
On May 10, 2009, about 1310 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna U206E, N1457M,
experienced a total loss of engine power while cruising about 5 miles north of
Oroville, California. The private pilot made a forced landing in an open field.
The airplane's nose gear broke off as the airplane decelerated over uneven
terrain, the firewall was bent, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The
private pilot was not injured during the personal flight that was performed in
the airplane, which he co-owned. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and
no flight plan had been filed. The flight was performed under the provisions of
14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, and it originated from Marysville,
California, about 1230.
The pilot reported to the National Transportation Safety Board investigator that
when his flight initiated, the airplane's fuel tanks contained a total of 55
gallons of 100 LL fuel. After takeoff, he performed two uneventful touch-and-go
landings. Thereafter, he climbed to a 2,600-foot mean sea level (msl) cruise
altitude.
There were no clouds in the sky, and the wind was calm. The visibility was 100
miles.
According to the pilot, while cruising the engine suddenly "died, as if the
[ignition] key were shut off." Immediately thereafter, engine power returned
without his taking action, and then the engine died completely.
The pilot stated that he responded to the emergency by switching fuel tanks and
also activating the electric fuel pump. The propeller continued to windmill. Due
to the airplane's low altitude, he then concentrated on executing the forced
landing. His efforts at restarting the engine were not successful, and he landed
the airplane on the nearby rough terrain, about 1,100 feet msl.
Airplane recovery personnel reported to the Safety Board investigator finding
evidence of fuel in all of the airplane's fuel tanks. The airplane was recovered
from the accident site and examined by Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
personnel.
In pertinent part, FAA personnel reported observing minimal propeller blade
damage, which they opined was consistent with low or no engine power at impact.
Control continuity between the cockpit's engine controls and the engine was
confirmed. No anomalies were noted with the magnetos, examined spark plugs,
cylinders, or internal engine components during rotation of the engine's
crankshaft. The integrity of the fuel system was confirmed between the wings and
the engine. The fuel vents in the wings and the bladder tanks were examined, and
no blockages were noted.
To ascertain the functionality of the powerplant, an FAA principal maintenance
inspector test ran the engine. The FAA inspector reported that the electric fuel
pump operated normally, and the engine properly started. Thereafter, it was test
run for 12 minutes. No anomalies were noted. At the conclusion of the
examination, the FAA inspector reported finding no evidence indicating why the
reported power loss occurred.
The accident airplane was equipped with a J.P. Instruments, Inc. (JPI), engine
data management (EDM-800) system that recorded various engine operating
conditions. Following the FAA's engine test run, the EDM-800 was removed from
the airplane. Under the Safety Board's supervision, its retained memory was
downloaded by JPI's personnel at their manufacturing facility. JPI personnel
reported to the Safety Board investigator that the instrument appeared
undamaged, and the downloaded file contained data that did not appear corrupt.
The downloaded file of the accident flight was reviewed by Safety Board
personnel. A data graph showing the accident flight is included in the docket
for this accident report. In pertinent part, the graph includes the following
data for Time, Exhaust Gas Temperature (#1 cylinder, degrees Fahrenheit) Fuel
Flow, and Revolutions Per Minute:
*TIME EGT FF RPM NOTES
2117:54 1378 17.6 2465 (EGT remained bet. 1378 & less than 1417)
2124:12 1354 16.2 2345 (EGT rose to 1417 at 2124:24)
2124:24 1417 11.2 2339 (Peak EGT occurred here)
2124:30 1007 0.9 2130
2124:36 572 0.0 1937
2125:42 241 0.0 0
*See the docket for information regarding event times and all recorded data.
JPI's Pilot's Guide indicates that retarding the mixture control changes the
fuel/air ratio and hence the exhaust gas temperature. The Guide states: "As the
mixture is leaned, EGT rises to a peak temperature, and then drops as the
mixture is further leaned."
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Injuries: 2 Fatal.
Seconds after takeoff during an instructional
flight, the airplane stalled and impacted into an open field about 0.2 miles
from the runway's departure end. The purpose of the flight was for the certified
flight instructor (CFI) to provide the private certificated pilot instruction in
unusual attitude maneuvers including in-flight loss of control and engine
failure after takeoff with a return to runway landing. Ground witnesses observed
the airplane in its initial takeoff climb at a 45-degree nose up attitude reach
about 650 feet above ground level (agl), whereupon it stalled, banked sharply
left, and then "fell out of the sky." Thereafter, it descended in a nose down
attitude to ground impact while reversing direction. The accident site and
wreckage examination revealed the airplane impacted the ground in a near level
flight attitude. Insufficient altitude existed for the CFI to fully recover from
the incipient spin/stall. A post impact ground fire destroyed the airplane. The
airframe and engine were examined, and no evidence of any mechanical malfunction
or control system disconnect was found. The National Transportation Safety Board
determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The certified
flight instructor and the private pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed
while attempting a return to runway maneuver, which resulted in an inadvertent
stall. ===
Injuries: 1 Minor.
The airplane nosed over during landing. The
pilot said he had been out practicing landings, and the accident landing was to
be his last of the day. The first three landings were completed with no
discrepancies. On the fourth landing, the airplane touched down on the main
landing gear in a tail low attitude; the tail started to rise, and the pilot
thought that the main landing gear "appeared to make a slight 'bounce.'" He did
a go-around and came back to land for the last time. On the accident landing, he
did a 3-point landing. The landing was normal, power was at idle, and he noted
his airspeed at 65 miles per hour; however, it felt as if the brakes were being
"strongly applied." The tail started to rise, and he immediately pulled back on
the stick to its full rearward position. He checked his foot position on the
rudder pedals, and removed them temporarily to see if that would help; however,
the braking action continued with no airplane response to the full aft stick.
The airplane rotated forward, and nosed over. The pilot stated that after the
accident he walked the runway and saw that the main landing gear left straight
skid marks for about 150 feet from the touchdown point, until the airplane nosed
over. A witness observed black smoke coming from the wheels just after the
airplane came to rest inverted. Another witness was at the airplane about 25
minutes after the accident and attempted to rotate the main wheels. The witness
said that they would rotate, but that there was "quite a bit of drag on them."
Two airframe and power plant mechanics examined the airplane the day after the
accident and found no identifiable brake system anomalies. They noted that the
parking brake was in the OFF position, and indicated that the skid marks on the
runway were indicative of the brakes either partially or fully activated on
touchdown until the airplane turned over. They theorized that the brake anomaly
might have been due to the brake piston being stuck, possible foreign debris in
the brake lines or brakes themselves, or a high ambient temperature causing
internal hydraulic pressure buildup in the cylinder and lines, thus activating
the brakes. The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable
cause(s) of this accident as follows: a binding and/or activation of the brakes
that lead to an inadvertent nose over. The underlying root cause of the brake
binding/activation could not be determined. ===
