Accident Details
On October 6, 2017, at approximately 0706 central daylight time, a Piper PA34-220T aircraft, registration N4136D, experienced a loss of engine power on its right engine, leading to a forced landing in a corn field. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The aircraft received substantial damage to its fuselage and both wings.
Aircraft and Flight Information
The aircraft was registered to Echo Bravo LLC and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and the flight was operating on an instrument flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Aurora Municipal Airport (ARR) near Sugar Grove, Illinois, with an intended destination of Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) in Wichita, Kansas.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that the pre-flight inspection and pre-takeoff engine checks revealed no anomalies. Shortly after takeoff, the airplane yawed to the right. The airplane entered clouds at about 1,100 ft msl and became more difficult to control. The pilot lowered the nose to increase airspeed, and the airplane exited the cloud layer in a nose-down, right-wing-low attitude. He corrected the attitude and landed into a corn field.
Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident. The examination did not reveal any preimpact anomalies regarding the airplane engines. The right engine could be rotated, and compression and suction were felt on all cylinders during rotation. Further examination of the right engine revealed no anomalies. The FAA inspector removed the fuel injection servo and the fuel injection distribution valve from the right engine and had them tested at a certified repair station. The functional and visual inspections did not reveal any anomalies, and all test parameters were within service specifications.