Piper PA-22 N1810P

Summary

On 13 December 2011 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-22 registered N1810P was involved in an accident near Friday Harbor, Washington, United States. One person was 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.

Date

13 December 2011 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Friday Harbor, Washington, United States

Coordinates

48.4950, -123.0467

Aircraft

Piper PA-22

Registration

N1810P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Friday Harbor → Lopez Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR12LA064

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that about 3 to 4 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power with no indication of engine roughness. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot made a forced landing in a field, and the airplane collided with a pole. After the accident, and prior to notification to authorities, the pilot checked the fuel system for water and found none. He then started the engine without difficulty and taxied to a secure area. A local reporting station recorded the temperature and dew point as 2 degrees Celsius and -2 degrees Celsius, respectively. Although the reported weather conditions were conducive to serious carburetor icing at cruise power, the engine was operating at a high power setting for takeoff, indicating that carburetor ice was likely not the reason for the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.