Piper PA-23-250 N63887

Summary

On 8 November 2004 at about 19:07 local time, a Piper PA-23-250 registered N63887, operated by Willie L. Shaw, was involved in an accident near Detroit, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

8 November 2004 at 19:07

Classification

Accident

Location

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Detroit City (DET)

Coordinates

42.4056, -83.0058

Aircraft

Piper PA-23-250

Registration

N63887

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Willie L. Shaw

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Detroit → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05FA024

2 people were seriously injured.

The pilot's failure to feather the propeller and to maintain control of the airplane following the loss of engine power which resulted from undetermined reasons. Factors associated with the accident were the power lines and the house that the airplane contacted.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The multi-engine airplane collided with power lines, a house, a tree, and a fence following a loss of engine power during initial takeoff climb. A second house sustained fire and impact damage from flying debris. The pilot reported all engine indications were normal until after takeoff. The pilot reported he estimated being about 50 feet above ground level when he noticed a "split" in the manifold pressure and rpm indicating a loss of power on the left engine. He stated he turned to the south (left) to avoid obstacles and attempted to land in a field. A pilot-rated passenger reported that after takeoff, the pilot "seemed to be having problems gaining and maintaining altitude." She reported that she thought the pilot was returning to the airport when they began to lose altitude and that she heard the stall warning horn come on twice during the flight. She stated she was busy making call-outs and looking at the airspeed, and therefore did not know which engine had lost power or if the propeller had been feathered. Both engines had sustained heat and impact damage. Post accident inspection of the engines failed to reveal any failure/malfunction which would have resulted in the loss of engine power. Detailed inspection of the left engine propeller revealed the propeller had not been feathered prior to impact. The airplane information manual states that once the "... faulty engine is identified and its power loss verified, its propeller should be feathered."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.