Piper PA-23-160 N3494P
10 April 1992 · Missoula, Montana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 10 April 1992 at about 21:59 local time, a Piper PA-23-160 registered N3494P, operated by Pearson, Erik & Crow, Charles, was involved in an accident near Missoula, Montana, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:59
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Missoula, Montana, United States
- Coordinates
- 46.8507, -113.9895
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-160
- Registration
- N3494P
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Pearson, Erik & Crow, Charles
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Stevensville → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA92LA072
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
PARTIAL BLOCKAGE OF THE LEFT ENGINE INDUCTION AIR FILTER, INABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE PROPER RATE OF DESCENT, AND DELAYED EXTENSION OF THE LANDING GEAR. FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WERE ICING CONDITIONS, WING ICE, AND ROUGH/UNEVEN TERRAIN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
THE PILOT AND PILOT RATED PASSENGER (RIGHT SEAT) DEPARTED IN THE PA-23 AND CLIMBED TO 11000 FEET ON A LOCAL ROUND ROBIN FLIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH WING OR PROPELLER DEICE/ANTI ICE SYSTEMS. MISSOULA REPORTED SEVERAL SCATTERED, BROKEN AND OVERCAST CLOUD LAYERS BELOW 11000 FEET DURING THE AFTERNOON AND THE SURFACE TEMP PEAKED AT 44 DEGREES F. AT 11000 FEET THE PILOTS ENCOUNTERED A VIBRATION AND LOSS OF LEFT ENGINE POWER AND INITIATED A RETURN TO MISSOULA FOR LANDING. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WITH PARTIAL POWER A FORCED LANDING WAS EXECUTED SHORT OF RUNWAY 25 AT THE MISSOULA AIRPORT. ALTHOUGH AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR PRIOR TO THE FORCED LANDING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING ROLLOUT WHEN IT STRUCK A GOPHER HOLE. AIRPORT ARFF PERSONNEL OBSERVED ICE DETACHING FROM THE AIRCRAFT WING(S) FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT AND FAA PERSONNEL INSPECTING THE AIRCRAFT SUBSEQUENT TO THE ACCIDENT REPORTED THAT THE LEFT INDUCTION AIR FILTER WAS HEAVILY SOAKED WITH WATER.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-23 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 1992 | Piper PA-23-250 | Valentine, Nebraska, United States | WM. J. Kerr/Robt. Kilmer | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jun 1992 | Piper PA-23-250 | St. Thomas | Caribbean Air Carrier, Inc. | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Apr 1992 | Piper PA-23-250 | Denver, Colorado, United States | Richard D. Sunderland | No injuries | - |
| 6 Mar 1992 | Piper PA-23-250 | Sandston, Virginia, United States | Jasper Engine Exchange Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 13 Jan 1992 | Piper PA-23-150 | Grand Rapids, Minnesota, United States | Weske, Douglas P | No injuries | - |
| 8 Mar 1992 | Piper PA-23-150 | Romeoville, Illinois, United States | Flying "C" Leasing | No injuries | - |
All 1,716 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 1992 | Swearingen SA-226TC | Billings, Montana, United States | Big Sky Transportation Co | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 1992 | Schweizer SGS-1-35C | Big Timber, Montana, United States | Ridge Runners Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 14 May 1992 | Bellanca 8KCAB | Kalispell, Montana, United States | Morgan Air Service | No injuries | - |
| 29 Dec 1992 | Aero Commander AC-500B | Billings, Montana, United States | Corporate Air | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 1992 | E E Shilling Q-2 | Billings, Montana, United States | Michael R. Moore | No injuries | - |
| 29 May 1992 | Piper PA-28-140 | Monarch, Montana, United States | Chamberlain, Dwight N. | Minor injuries | - |