Piper PA 32-260 N3457W

Summary

On 2 May 2017 at about 22:28 local time, a Piper PA 32-260 registered N3457W was involved in an accident near Mukilteo, Washington, 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

2 May 2017 at 22:28

Classification

Accident

Location

Mukilteo, Washington, United States

Nearest airport

Snohomish County (Paine Fld) (PAE)

Coordinates

47.8894, -122.2869

Aircraft

Piper PA 32-260

Registration

N3457W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1966

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Everett → Klamath Falls

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR17LA096

1 person had minor injuries.

The improper maintenance of the carburetor, which resulted in a stuck float and a partial loss of engine power during takeoff.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that, during the initial climb shortly after takeoff, the airplane lost partial engine power. He tried a series of troubleshooting steps, but with limited time available, he then performed a forced landing onto a street just beyond the runway. The airplane impacted power transmission cables and traffic lights during the descent, rupturing both wingtip fuel tanks and spraying ignited fuel onto cars at the intersection below. The airplane sustained substantial damage when it collided with the ground and came to rest on the street. The airplane had been fueled almost to capacity just before takeoff and postaccident examination did not reveal any anomalies with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Examination of the carburetor revealed multiple maintenance-related discrepancies, all of which could have resulted in a loss of engine power. One of the discrepancies was related to the float, which appeared to have been touching the wall of the carburetor bowl. A witness reported visible exhaust emissions coming from the engine during flight, and the spark plugs were coated in black soot. Both observations were indicative of an excessively rich fuel-to-air mixture, consistent with a stuck carburetor float. As such, the loss of engine power was likely the result of a stuck carburetor float. Based on atmospheric conditions, carburetor icing could not be ruled out; however, the airplane began the takeoff ground roll almost immediately after the pilot performed the engine runup, which included the application of carburetor heat, and it is unlikely that the loss of engine power was the result of carburetor icing. The pilot accepted an intersection takeoff due to a passenger jet performing taxi tests at the approach end of the runway. Had he chosen to use the full runway length, he likely would have had enough runway available to safely land the airplane following the loss of power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.