On September 5, 1993, a Piper PA-30 (registration N7148Y) operated by Ghaemmaghami, Kamran was involved in an aviation accident near Bryce Canyon, UT. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: LOSS OF ENGINE POWER FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON. FACTORS RELATED TO THE FORCED LANDING WERE: HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE AND ROUGH TERRAIN. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
After takeoff, the right engine lost power, and the pilot could not restart it. Unable to maintain altitude, he turned back but had to land on rough terrain. Subsequent engine testing found no mechanical failure.
Incident Overview
Shortly after takeoff, the right engine of the airplane lost power. The pilot attempted to restart the engine but was unsuccessful. The airplane could not maintain altitude, prompting the pilot to initiate a left 180-degree turn to return to the departure airport. However, he realized the airplane would not reach the runway and chose to land on rough terrain.
Post-Incident Examination
After the airplane was retrieved, the engine was prepared for a test run. It started successfully and operated for several minutes at various power settings. No evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction was found during the test.
Environmental Conditions
The density altitude at the time of the incident was approximately 8,950 feet.