Piper PA-23-250 N5435Y

Summary

On 31 August 1991 at about 23:40 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N5435Y, operated by Arthur G. Maloone, was involved in an accident near Sod, West Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

31 August 1991 at 23:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Sod, West Virginia, United States

Coordinates

38.2605, -81.8792

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N5435Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Arthur G. Maloone

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntington → Charleston

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

BFO91FA078

1 person died.

THE IMPROPER LEVEL OFF WHICH RESULTED IN A HARD LANDING. CONTRIBUTING WAS FUEL STARVATION RESULTING IN PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT WAS EN ROUTE WHEN HE RADIOED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL HE LOST POWER IN ONE OF THE ENGINES. ATC LOST RADIO CONTACT WITH THE PILOT SOON AFTERWARDS. WITNESSES REPORTED THE AIRPLANE CIRCLED AND THEN LANDED IN A FIELD. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD AND THEN ROLLED OVER. COLLAPSING THE FUSELAGE. THE EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED ROTATIONAL DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT PROPELLER, AND RELATIVELY NO DAMAGE TO THE LEFT PROPELLER. AN INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED FUEL IN THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL INJECTOR UNIT; HOWEVER, THE SAME COMPONENTS OF THE LEFT ENGINE WERE ABSENT OF FUEL. THE LEAKAGE OF FUEL FROM THE FUEL TANKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRPLANE DAMAGE PRECLUDED DETERMINATION OF THE FUEL ABOARD WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.