Piper PA 23-160 N222CP

Summary

On 29 December 2014 at about 20:00 local time, a Piper PA 23-160 registered N222CP, operated by Eagle Support Services LLC, was involved in an accident near Port Clinton, Ohio, 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

29 December 2014 at 20:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Port Clinton, Ohio, United States

Nearest airport

Erie-Ottawa Int'l, Carl Keller (KPCW)

Coordinates

41.5206, -82.8719

Aircraft

Piper PA 23-160

Registration

N222CP

Category

Airplane

Year built

1960

Engines

2

Operator

Eagle Support Services LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Port Clinton → Columbus

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN15FA088

1 person died.

The pilot's loss of control following a loss of left engine power for reasons that could not be determined because an examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact abnormalities.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was departing on a cross-country flight in the twin-engine airplane. A witness stated that before takeoff, the pilot spent about 20 minutes in the run-up area. As the airplane departed the runway, witnesses heard a "popping" noise come from the airplane. The airplane struggled to gain altitude, and one witness stated it appeared to have a problem with the left engine. The airplane turned left and descended. A review of a security camera video showed that the airplane turned left after takeoff, entered a rapid nose-down descent, and impacted terrain. A small amount of water was found in the left engine's carburetor; however, firefighter response efforts could not be eliminated as a potential source for the water. Based on the weather conditions at the time of the accident, the airplane was operating in an area associated with a risk of carburetor ice accumulation at glide and cruise power settings, but not at takeoff power settings. Witness reports and findings from the investigation are consistent with a loss of control following a loss of left engine power; however, the examination of the airframe and engines did not reveal evidence of any preimpact abnormalities.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.