Incident Overview
On May 7, 2018, at 1043 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-161, registration N80813, operated by Paris Air Inc, was substantially damaged during a forced landing after a total loss of engine power while on approach to Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB), Vero Beach, Florida. The flight instructor and a student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
Sequence of Events
According to the student pilot, he had completed a right traffic pattern and as he turned the airplane from base leg to final leg, engine power was decreasing and did not respond when he increased throttle. He then surrendered control to the instructor. The flight instructor stated that as he assumed control, the engine started running extremely rough and the propeller rotated slowly. He initiated the engine failure checklist but could not complete it due to lack of time and altitude, instead choosing to perform a forced landing onto a railroad bed about 1/4 mile before the approach end of the runway, oriented perpendicular to the final approach course. He turned the airplane right, aligned with the tracks, and landed hard, separating the right main and nose landing gear.
Pilot Information
The flight instructor held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land, multiengine land, and instrument airplane, as well as a flight instructor certificate for airplane single-engine. He was issued a first-class medical certificate on April 7, 2015. He reported 491 total flight hours, with 456 hours in the accident airplane make and model. The student pilot held an FAA student pilot certificate and a first-class medical certificate issued on August 17, 2017.
Aircraft Information
According to FAA records, the airplane was manufactured in 1979 and had accrued 12,557.3 total aircraft hours. Its most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on May 1, 2018, at 12,544.8 total aircraft hours.
Weather Conditions
At 1053, the weather at VRB included clear skies, wind from 040° at 5 knots, temperature 27°C, dew point 20°C, and altimeter setting 29.99 inches of mercury.
Post-Accident Examination
During recovery, both main wing tanks and the carburetor float bowl were drained. Samples of drained fuel were collected; the contents of each container were approximately one-third fuel and two-thirds water. After recovery, an NTSB investigator connected an external fuel tank at the gascolator output and primed the engine. The carburetor case was cracked from impact, and fuel dripped from the crack when primed. An engine start was attempted; after about two propeller revolutions, the engine started and ran smoothly. The investigator stopped the engine after a brief period due to the fuel leak.