Piper PA-30 N954S

Summary

On 29 September 2001 at about 17:26 local time, a Piper PA-30 registered N954S was involved in an accident near McCall, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 September 2001 at 17:26

Classification

Accident

Location

McCall, Idaho, United States

Nearest airport

McCall (MYL)

Coordinates

44.8697, -116.1044

Aircraft

Piper PA-30

Registration

N954S

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hailey → McCall

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA01FA175

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed following a loss of power on the left engine, resulting in loss of aircraft control. Factors included a loss of power on the left engine for undetermined reasons, and the pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane for the engine-out condition.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After the pilot made a normal-sounding base turn call for runway 34 on the airport's common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF), the airplane was observed by witnesses to experience a nose drop and crash into a cattle pasture about 3/4 mile short of the runway. On-site examination disclosed wreckage and impact signatures consistent with an uncontrolled, right wing low, relatively low-speed impact, as well as physical and instrument evidence of a left engine power loss. However, the aircraft's left propeller was not feathered, and gear and flaps were found to be fully extended at the time of impact. The reason for the left engine power loss was not determined; however, the following findings potentially related to left engine performance were noted: both engines were approximately 300 hours past the manufacturer's recommended time between overhauls (TBO), evidence of improper idle mixture and idle stop adjustments to the left engine by maintenance personnel was discovered during post-accident fuel system component testing (a work order, dated the day before the accident but without any corresponding aircraft or engine logbook entries, further indicated that "MIXTURE IDLE CUTOFF" and "FUEL PRESSURE" had been adjusted on both engines), and the left side fuel selector was found in the AUX position (the aircraft owner's handbook specifies the MAIN position for descent and landing.) Post-accident testing demonstrated that the left propeller feathered quickly and smoothly when oil pressure was removed from the hub, and that the left propeller governor would cut oil pressure to the hub.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.