No fatalities

7 Jul 2016: PIPER PA 44 180 — PLANE NONSENSE INC — Keene, NH

Keene, NH, United States

On 7 Jul 2016, a PIPER PA 44 180 operated by PLANE NONSENSE INC was involved in an aviation accident near Keene, NH. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The flight instructor’s failure to use carburetor heat during the approach while operating in atmospheric conditions that were conducive to carburetor icing, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 14 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During a simulated single-engine instrument approach, a multi-engine airplane failed to climb on missed approach, leading to a forced landing on a taxiway and collision with a drainage culvert, resulting in substantial damage.

Accident Details

The incident occurred during a training flight in a multi-engine airplane. The flight instructor was conducting a simulated single-engine instrument approach to runway 2. As part of the exercise, the right engine was configured to simulate a failure. The objective was to perform a missed approach on one engine and evaluate the airplane's performance.

The pilot under instruction descended to the decision height and initiated the missed approach procedure. However, the airplane would not climb. The flight instructor then instructed the pilot to apply full power on both engines. According to the instructor, mixtures, propellers, and throttles were all set to full forward, and the fuel flow levers were in the ON position. The instructor subsequently took control of the airplane.

With trees and buildings to the north, the instructor made a left turn at about 400 feet above ground level with the intention of landing on runway 14. He extended the landing gear but realized the airplane would not reach the runway. He executed a forced landing to the southwest on taxiway Sierra. The airplane crossed over runway 32-14, and despite heavy braking, the airplane exited the taxiway and struck a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the aft fuselage stringers and longerons.

Environmental Conditions

The airport elevation was 488 feet. The density altitude was 2,120 feet. The temperature was 81°F, and the dew point was 66°F. Wind conditions were calm. The flight instructor stated that carburetor heat was not used during the approach on either engine.

Additional Information

Per the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Carburetor Ice Probability Chart, the relative humidity was approximately 60 percent, indicating a serious probability of carburetor icing when operating in a gliding flight profile.

Contributing factors

Causes

Instructor/check pilotEffect on operationNot used/operated

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcome