N859DA

Substantial
None

Piper PA-23-250S/N: 27-7305198

Accident Details

Date
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
NTSB Number
DFW06CA033
Location
Bixby, OK
Event ID
20051215X01978
Coordinates
36.043609, -95.985275
Aircraft Damage
Substantial
Highest Injury
None
Fatalities
0
Serious Injuries
0
Minor Injuries
0
Uninjured
2
Total Aboard
2

Probable Cause and Findings

The loss of engine power due to water contamination and corrosion in both gascolators due to improper maintenance. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

Aircraft Information

Registration
N859DA
Make
PIPER
Serial Number
27-7305198
Engine Type
Reciprocating
Year Built
1973
Model / ICAO
PA-23-250PA27
Aircraft Type
Fixed Wing Multi Engine
No. of Engines
2

Registered Owner (Historical)

Name
DODSON INTERNATIONAL PARTS INC
Address
2155 VERMONT RD
Status
Deregistered
City
RANTOUL
State / Zip Code
KS 66079-9014
Country
United States

Analysis

After a detailed preflight inspection and a 15-minute run up, the 1,684-hour commercial pilot and a pilot-rated passenger, who had recently purchased the twin-engine airplane, departed on a 385-nautical mile cross-country flight to ferry the airplane to its new home base. About 25 minutes into the flight, while in cruise flight at 2,500 feet, the left engine lost power. The pilot elected not to secure the left engine as he felt that the engine was producing some power; however, he elected to return to the departure airport. En-route to the airport, the right engine also experienced a partial loss of power. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and selected a nearby hay field to execute a forced landing. The pilot was able to clear some powerlines short of his intended forced landing area, and made a normal landing on the hay field. During the landing roll on the hay field, the airplane impacted a 2-foot berm/terrace in the field, collapsing the nose landing gear assembly. Examination of the airplane revealed that fuel was present in the fuel tanks; however, water and corrosion were found in both left and right side gascolators.

Data Source

Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# DFW06CA033