Accident Overview
On January 4, 2014, about 1519 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, registration N9409J, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on an expressway in Bronx, New York. The private pilot and two passengers were not injured. The airplane was registered to and operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed; VFR flight following was obtained. The flight originated from Danbury Municipal Airport, Danbury, Connecticut, about 1426.
Preflight Events
Earlier that day, the pilot taxied to the run-up area for an intended sightseeing flight. During engine run-up, he noticed a vibration and secured the engine. The airplane was towed to the ramp where a mechanic noted ice coming out of the propeller spinner during hand rotation. No maintenance was performed on the engine, and after it was started, the vibration level was reported as normal. The pilot contacted Danbury ATCT, obtained taxi clearance, taxied to the approach end of runway 26, and was cleared for takeoff.
Flight and Engine Power Loss
The flight departed with full fuel tanks, but the pilot could not recall which fuel tank was selected for takeoff. After takeoff, while in contact with several FAA ATC facilities, the flight proceeded to the Statue of Liberty National Monument, where GPS and radar data show the airplane orbited 1.5 times. The pilot later stated that about 30 minutes into the flight, or after orbiting the Statue of Liberty, a GPS alarm alerted him to switch tanks, which he did. At 1510, while in contact with Newark air traffic control tower, the pilot informed the controller he was departing the Statue of Liberty, and communications were transferred to LaGuardia ATCT. He established contact with that facility at 1513:37 and was instructed to maintain 2,000 feet.
The flight proceeded north above the Hudson River. The pilot stated he first noticed a loss of engine power when near mid-town Manhattan, at an altitude of about 2,200 feet. He turned on the auxiliary fuel pump and switched to the previous fuel tank, but those actions did not restore power. He verified the mixture control was full rich and pushed the throttle in, but those actions also did not restore power. He did not apply carburetor heat. He began descending at best glide airspeed. At 1517:46, while at approximately 1,700 feet mean sea level (msl), he informed the controller, "tower tower zero nine Juliet we are losing engine power." The controller asked if he was declaring an emergency, and he replied affirmatively. The controller asked if he wanted LaGuardia Airport, and the pilot questioned whether he could make it. The controller provided a vector, but the pilot later stated he was unable to visually locate the runway and knew he was too far away. He asked for other options and was informed of a park. The pilot stated that at 1,000 feet, he noted 2 of the 3 lanes of the Major Deegan Expressway were closed, so he opted to land on it. He maintained best glide speed and cracked the cabin entry door in anticipation of the forced landing. He extended the glide due to cars on the expressway and banked to avoid street light poles. He touched down between 40 and 45 miles-per-hour with no flaps extended, in what he described as "hard but not really hard." After touchdown, the landing gear slowly collapsed, and it felt like the airplane was skidding on metal. After coming to rest, he turned off the magneto switch, fuel selector, and master switch. All occupants exited the airplane. The propeller stopped in-flight. It took about 6 minutes for nearby road workers to respond.
Investigation Findings
Several FAA inspectors responded to the accident site. Approximately 45 gallons of fuel were drained from the airplane's fuel tanks; no contaminants were noted. The airplane was trailered to a nearby facility, where the wings were removed, and the on-board JPI EDM-700 and Garmin GPSmap 696 receiver with ADS-B antenna were sent to the NTSB Vehicle Recorder Division. The airplane was then transported to another facility for long-term storage.
Inspection of the fuel strainer revealed only a small amount of fuel. The fuel line between the engine-driven fuel pump and the carburetor was disconnected at the carburetor end; no fuel was found. The carburetor bowl was drained and found to contain about 3.5 ounces of fuel. Inspection of the fuel supply system revealed no obstructions from either wing root to the fuel strainer when the fuel selector was positioned to each respective side; the fuel selector operated normally. No evidence of leakage from any fuel or oil lines was found; the oil dipstick indicated oil was present. The propeller was pulled through several times, and cylinder compressions were noted with a "snapping" of the impulse coupling of the magnetos. The fuselage with attached engine and propeller was positioned on a trailer for an attempted engine run, with an alternate fuel supply plumbed to the left wing root area. The master switch and auxiliary fuel pump were turned on, and the fuel pump made cyclical thumping noises until it became primed. The starter was energized, and the engine turned over but did not start. The engine was primed, started briefly, and then quit. It was primed again and started without hesitation. The throttle was then opened to almost full, and the engine responded; however, the tachometer reading was not confirmed. The engine was cycled through high and low power settings several times over several minutes, operating smoothly. Safety concerns from a damaged engine mount precluded continued operation at high power, so the engine run was terminated. No leaks or other anomalies were noted. No discrepancies with the engine that would preclude normal operation were found.
Data Recorder Analysis
Read-out of the JPI EDM 700, which recorded data every 6 seconds over about 1 hour 4 minutes 41 seconds, revealed normal engine parameters for exhaust gas temperature (EGT) and cylinder head temperature (CHT) from the first record at approximately 1415:06 until 1516:47. At 1516:47, the values for all cylinders began to decrease equally.
The pilot provided a flash drive containing a 23-minute 56-second video with audio from a camera mounted inside the cockpit. The video showed the aircraft heading southbound on the Hudson River corridor, orbiting the Statue of Liberty 1.5 times. At 1507:01, an adjustment of engine power was audible. The airplane then returned northbound until approximately 1516:42, when a small drop in engine power was audible. The RPM needle wavered corresponding with fluctuating engine noise until about 1517:14, when the RPM needle settled at about 500 RPM. Shaking and vibration of the aircraft were observed. At 1517:33, a mayday call was heard from the cockpit. At about 1518:05, the aircraft began to turn right over the Bronx. At about 1519:23, propeller movement ceased and the tachometer dropped to zero. At 1519:29, a passenger began to brace, and the aircraft touched down approximately 5 seconds later. The airplane came to rest at 1519:40.
Carburetor Icing Conditions
A review of FAA Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) CE-09-35, which pertains to carburetor icing, indicated that based on the ambient temperature and dew point (25 and 3 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively), the conditions were outside icing at glide and cruise power.