Piper PA-44-180 N2083D

Summary

On 20 September 2024 at about 17:04 local time, a Piper PA-44-180 registered N2083D, operated by Thunderbird Aircraft Co, was involved in an accident near Shakopee, Minnesota, 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

20 September 2024 at 17:04

Classification

Accident

Location

Shakopee, Minnesota, United States

Nearest airport

Flying Cloud AIrport (FCM)

Coordinates

44.7842, -93.4992

Aircraft

Piper PA-44-180

Registration

N2083D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

2

Operator

Thunderbird Aircraft Co

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Eden Prairie → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN24LA360

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilots’ failure to apply carburetor heat during the descent, which resulted in a loss of power on both engines due to carburetor ice.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

One of the pilots, a flight instructor, was recently hired to instruct in the airplane and was receiving a check out flight from the assistant chief flight instructor. The pilots reported that they were preparing to enter the traffic pattern, so they began a descent from their cruising altitude of about 5,500 ft msl to 1,000 ft msl. About three miles from the airport, both engines on the multi-engine airplane began to run rough. Shortly thereafter, both engines lost all power. Despite the pilots advancing the propellers, mixtures, and throttles to their full forward position, engine power was not restored. The airplane continued to descend, and the pilots performed an off-airport landing onto a field. One of the pilots stated that they did not perform an emergency checklist because there was no checklist for a dual engine failure. Also, due to their proximity to the ground, they did not have time to perform an emergency checklist. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and both wings. A postaccident examination revealed that there were about 25 gallons of fuel in each nacelle, and both fuel selectors were in the “ON” position. The carburetor heat for each engine was in the “OFF” position. Examination of the engines and fuel system did not reveal any mechanical anomalies or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The recorded temperature and dew point near the accident site were conducive to “serious icing” at glide power settings. The pilot operating handbook for the airplane stated that carburetor heat should be used “as required” during approach and landing or if engine roughness occurs. Based on this information, it is likely that carburetor ice formed while the throttles were retarded during the descent which resulted in the initial engine roughness and subsequent loss of engine power due to carburetor ice.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.