Piper PA-22 N2654A

Summary

On 19 July 2005 at about 15:30 local time, a Piper PA-22 registered N2654A was involved in an accident near Plainwell, Michigan, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2005 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Plainwell, Michigan, United States

Coordinates

42.4678, -85.6481

Aircraft

Piper PA-22

Registration

N2654A

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Plainwell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI05CA193

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power on downwind due to carburetor icing, and the unsuitable terrain the pilot encountered during the forced landing. A factor was the soft terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane sustained damage when it nosed over during a forced landing following a loss of engine power on a downwind approach. The pilot stated, "[The passenger] and I had installed the overhauled carburetor ... and ran up the engine to verify proper working condition. ... [The next day] we ran it up twice to double check - everything was operating properly. The 11:25 am take-off was smooth and the climb out was strong. We turned crosswind, then downwind [1,000 feet above ground level]. On the tailend of the downwind, I pulled the carburetor heat, then pulled more power back. Five seconds later, I went to put more power in but the engine was dead. ... Our descent rate exceeded our distance to the airport, so we headed for the closest field. It appeared to be a bean field, which would have been hard packed and flat. However, it was a potato field, which was soft, soaked from recent rain, and uniform with 1 1/2 to 2 foot deep ruts. The landing was fine until the nose gear hit and dug in. The plane flipped over onto its top and slid to a stop." An examination of wreckage revealed no pre-impact anomalies with the airframe, engine, or carburetor. The recorded local temperature was 28 degrees C and the dew point was 16 degrees C. The temperature and dew point were plotted on a Transport Canada Carburetor Icing chart and their intersection falls in the serious icing - descent power area of the chart.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.