Piper PA-23 N2160P

Summary

On 25 February 1984 at about 17:32 local time, a Piper PA-23 registered N2160P was involved in an accident near Bluefield, West Virginia, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

25 February 1984 at 17:32

Classification

Accident

Location

Bluefield, West Virginia, United States

Nearest airport

Mercer Co. (BLF)

Coordinates

37.2610, -81.2102

Aircraft

Piper PA-23

Registration

N2160P

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Charlottesville → Nashville

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL84FA107

2 people died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

WHILE CRUISING ON AN IFR FLT AT 10,000 FT, THE PLT INFORMED ATLANTA CENTER THAT HE HAD AN ENG PROBLEM & WAS DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. HE WAS PROVIDED A HEADING TO THE BLUEFIELD ARPT WHICH WAS NEARBY. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROBLEM, HE SAID THE LEFT ENG WAS PROVIDING ONLY PARTIAL POWER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE PASSENGER (HIS WIFE) SAW A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS & THE PLT SAID HE WOULD CIRCLE & TRY TO GET DOWN. HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE HIGHEST OBSTACLE IN THE AREA WAS AT 3800 FT. HE REPORTED GOOD GROUND CONTACT, BUT SAID HE STILL COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT LOW ALT, BUT THE PLT FLEW TO THE BLUEFIELD VOR, ABOUT 1/2 MI FROM THE ARPT. HE THEN ENTERED A TURN AWAY FROM THE ARPT, & SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES ON HILLY TERRAIN. THE SURFACE TEMP WAS 30 DEG. ICY SLUSH WAS FOUND IN THE LEFT GASCOLATOR. THE FUEL SELECTORS WERE FOUND IN THE 'AUX' POSITIONS. NO PREIMPACT MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE WAS FOUND. THE BLADES OF THE LEFT PROP WERE FOUND IN A FLAT ANGLE (NOT FEATHERED) & BENT AFT WITH LITTLE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.