Accident Overview
On August 24, 2021, at about 1200 Pacific daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300 airplane, registration N2843T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing on Interstate 5 near Del Mar, California. The flight instructor and pilot were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight History
The pilot reported that the airplane had just received an annual inspection and was being flown from Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport (MYF) in San Diego, California, back to its home base, McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ) in Carlsbad, California. The pilot did not have a current medical certificate, so a flight instructor was on board to act as pilot in command. After departing MYF, they climbed to about 1,500 ft mean sea level (msl). Once past the Class B airspace floor of 1,800 ft msl, the pilot began a slow climb. The engine then began to surge, sounding like the throttle was cycling between open and closed, and the airplane began to lose altitude. The flight instructor declared an emergency and turned toward a racetrack. The pilot noted that the auxiliary fuel pump was on, there were about 60 gallons of fuel on board, and all electrical power was lost as they descended.
Forced Landing
Determining that they could not safely land on the racetrack, the flight instructor and pilot elected to land on Interstate 5. Spotting a gap between cars, the flight instructor executed a forced landing on the interstate. During the landing sequence, the airplane struck several vehicles, resulting in substantial damage to its wings. The airplane came to rest angled toward the interstate median barrier.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed that all fuel line fittings were secured, fuel system continuity was established, and the fuel selector valve operated appropriately. Engine control continuity was established, and rotational continuity of the engine was confirmed through manual rotation of the propeller, with cylinder thumb compression obtained on all cylinders. During crankshaft rotation, spark was observed on all ignition leads. All cylinders were examined with a lighted borescope, which showed no internal damage and a normal amount of combustion deposits. Overall, the examination revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Engine Data Monitor Review
A review of flight data from the engine data monitor indicated that the No. 3 exhaust temperature remained low during the flight. However, the investigation was unable to determine if the exhaust temperature data for the No. 3 cylinder was accurate or the result of a bad sensor. The No. 3 cylinder’s head temperature was similar to those of the other cylinders. The data also showed that the battery voltage remained constant during the flight. No anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were noted.