Accident Overview
On March 13, 2019, at approximately 1740 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registration N33305, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field near Easton, Maryland. The flight instructor and the private pilot aboard were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Cambridge-Dorchester Regional Airport (CGE), Cambridge, Maryland, about 1720, with an intended destination of Easton/Newnam Field (ESN), Easton, Maryland. The purpose of the flight was to reacquaint the pilot with the airplane and resume instrument flight training. Earlier, the flight had departed Lee Airport (ANP), Annapolis, Maryland, approximately 1630, and after two landings at CGE, they proceeded toward ESN.
Sequence of Events
While descending on the ILS Runway 4 approach with a circle-to-land clearance for runway 22 at ESN, the pilots configured the airplane for landing. This included reducing engine power, moving the propeller control to full forward, setting the mixture to full rich, turning on the electric fuel pump, lowering the landing gear, and extending flaps one notch. The airplane descended below the glideslope, prompting the instructor to instruct the pilot to add power. However, when the throttle was advanced, the engine did not respond. The instructor took the controls and attempted to restore engine power without success. The propeller continued to windmill. The pilot switched fuel tanks, but the engine did not restart.
Forced Landing
With the airplane at about 1,000 ft mean sea level, the instructor identified a nearby field for landing. He extended the flaps, elected to retract the landing gear, and performed a forced landing to the muddy field. After coming to rest, both occupants turned off all systems and egressed the aircraft.
Aircraft and Engine Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1975, was equipped with a Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 200-horsepower engine. According to the engine maintenance logbook, the most recent annual inspection was completed on March 5, 2019, at 1,567.6 hours since major overhaul.
Post-Accident Examination
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage. Substantial damage was noted to a fuselage rib. Fuel was present in both tanks and was drained using the electric fuel pump, with no water or contaminants observed. The fuel selector moved smoothly and detented properly.
Engine examination revealed no crankcase damage, and crankshaft and valvetrain continuity were confirmed. Compression and suction were present on all cylinders. Magneto timing was correct, and the magnetos sparked without anomalies. The airbox was unobstructed. Engine control cables (propeller, mixture, throttle) maintained continuity to their respective connections.
Subsequently, the engine was started with fuel plumbed in. It ran smoothly without hesitation, was reduced to idle, and then shut down. No anomalies were identified with the engine.