Piper PA-39 N8984Y

Summary

On 26 April 2001 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper PA-39 registered N8984Y was involved in an accident near Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 April 2001 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Nearest airport

Fort Collins Downtown (3V5)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-39

Registration

N8984Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Fort Collins → Iowa City

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN01FA090

2 people were seriously injured.

the loss of right engine power on take-off as a result of the separation of the right engine's alternate air door, which lodged in the fuel servo air inlet. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, take-off was normal, the airplane rotated at 95 mph, accelerated to 110 mph. During the initial climb, and at approximately 150 feet above ground level (agl), the left engine lost power and "quit." The pilot attempted to restart the left engine, but before he could, the right engine lost power and "quit." The pilot conducted a forced landing in a open field just north of the runway. Following touch down, the aircraft slid across two railroad tracks, impacted a ditch, struck a power pole and spun 90 degrees to the left, coming to rest on a city street. Examination of the left engine compartment found that the alternate air door was stuck in the open position, corrosion was present on the actuating cable and the cable end was broken. Examination of the right engine compartment found the alternate air door was separated from its mounting rivets and was lodged in the alternate air box, completely covering the inlet on the fuel injector servo. The pilot stated that when they arrived in Fort Collins on April 24, he had the aircraft fuel tanks topped off. According to the Fort Collins Downtown Airport daily fuel record sheet for April 24, 2001, N8984Y, received 61.8 gallons of 100 low lead fuel. An examination of the remaining fuel in the airplane, and the fuel in the refueling truck, provided no evidence of fuel contamination. Six other aircraft were serviced and refueled the same day with no reported problems. A sample of an unknown substance/debris found in the left main fuel tank gascolator, was sent it to SEM-EDAX for spectra-analysis. SEM-EDAX analyzed the substance/debris and identified it as silica sand.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.