Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-28R-200 near Agoura Hills, CA — 2011-03-11

Final reportWPR11LA160
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Date
2011-03-11
Location
Agoura Hills, CA, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-28R-200
Registration
N75224
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The loss of engine power during cruise flight for undetermined reasons.

NTSB narrative

The certified flight instructor (CFI) reported that following an uneventful flight that consisted of various flight maneuvers and simulated engine out procedures, the pilot receiving instruction was told to return to the departure airport. Upon reaching cruise flight, the engine began to run rough with a consistent light vibration. The CFI stated that he attempted to correct the engine condition; however, he was unable and initiated a forced landing to a landfill. During the approach to landing, the left wing struck a sand pile and the airplane subsequently veered to the left and landed hard. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left wing was separated from the fuselage. Fuel was present in both the left and right fuel tanks. Using an alternate fuel source attached to the right wing fuel inlet line, the recovered engine was successfully run at various power settings for about eight minutes. No mechanical anomalies were noted with the recovered engine or airframe that would have precluded normal operation. The cause of the loss of engine power was not determined.

NTSB coding

View NTSB final report

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