Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB ERA10FA028
PIPER PA 46-350P — Zephyrhills, FL
| Date | October 24, 2009 |
| Location | Zephyrhills, FL |
| Aircraft | PIPER PA 46-350P |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Night · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Emergency descent Off-field or emergency landing |
| Pilot age | 44 |
| Pilot total time | 2,750 hrs · Experienced |
| Time in type | 110 hrs |
| Fatalities | 3 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Power plant-(general)-Failure - C
- Not determined-Not determined-(general)-(general)-Unknown/Not determined - C
- Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Light condition-Low light-Contributed to outcome - F
What happened
The pilot fueled the airplane prior to departure and flew uneventfully for approximately 30 minutes. The airplane then descended to 2,000 feet on approach to the destination airport, during night visual meteorological conditions. About 30 seconds after being cleared for a visual approach, the pilot declared an emergency to air traffic control and requested assistance to the nearest airport. The controller provided a vector to divert and distance to the nearest suitable airport. The pilot subsequently reported "engine out, engine out" and the airplane impacted wooded terrain about 4 miles northeast of runway 22 at the alternate airport. A postcrash fire consumed a majority of the wreckage. Examination of the wreckage, including teardown examination of the engine, did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions; however, the fuel system and ignition system were consumed by postcrash fire and could not be tested.