Piper PA 32R N185DX

Summary

On 15 May 2016 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA 32R registered N185DX was involved in an accident near Alpine, Texas, 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.

Date

15 May 2016 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Alpine, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Alpine-Casparis Municipal Airp (E38)

Coordinates

30.3842, -103.6836

Aircraft

Piper PA 32R

Registration

N185DX

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Alpine → Robstown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN16LA186

Nobody was injured.

The engine’s decreased performance due to high-density altitude conditions and a partially obstructed fuel injector nozzle. Contributing to the pilot's decision to perform an off-field landing was the anomalous high exhaust gas temperature reading.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot and passenger had just departed for a personal flight. The pilot reported that the takeoff roll required "a good bit of runway." The pilot reported that, during the initial climb, he noted that the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) was "pegged," so he reversed course to return to the airport. He was not able to find a "responsive power setting" and adjusted the mixture in attempt to cool the engine. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the high EGT without result, and he subsequently conducted a precautionary off-field, gear-up landing, during which the right wing and fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 fuel injector nozzle was partially obstructed. It is likely that the partially obstructed fuel injector nozzle and the high-density altitude, which was calculated to be 5,750 ft at the time of the accident, resulted in less-than-expected engine performance. During a postaccident engine run, the engine ran normally; however, the EGT was providing anomalous indications. Therefore, the information provided to the pilot by the EGT during the flight was likely anomalous; however, the pilot had no way of knowing this, and it likely contributed to his decision to perform an off-field landing. The decreased engine performance was not supported by any of the other engine gauges.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.