On March 12, 2019, a Piper PA-31-350, was substantially damaged when it hit terrain in Madeira, Ohio. The commercial pilot was fatally injured.
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight that originated from Cincinnati Municipal Airport-Lunken Field (KLUK) in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Radar data revealed that, after departing KLUK, the airplane flew several survey tracks near Cincinnati, Ohio, before proceeding north to fly survey tracks near Dayton, Ohio.
According to air traffic control (ATC) voice communications, the pilot contacted ATC to request direct routing to KLUK due to a fuel problem. The air traffic controller advised the pilot to proceed as requested and offered Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport (KMGY), which was eight miles ahead, as a landing alternative. The pilot responded that he had KMGY in sight but wanted to continue to KLUK, which was 30 miles away. The controller then asked the pilot if he wanted to declare an emergency. The pilot said “negative.”
The controller then asked the pilot if he required any assistance with the fuel issue, and he responded that he should be “okay.” The controller then advised the pilot that “multiple airports” were available between his location and KLUK, and the pilot informed the controller that he would advise if the fuel issue developed again.
About 10 minutes later, the pilot established radio contact with the tower at KLUK and advised the controller that the airplane had a fuel problem and that he was hoping to reach the airport. At that time, the airplane was at an altitude of 1,850 feet msl and was about eight miles north of LUK.
Shortly after, the pilot advised the controller that he was unsure if the airplane would reach the airport. No further communications were received from the pilot.
Radar data showed that the ground track of the airplane was about 200°, the airplane descended to an altitude of 1,275 feet msl, and its estimated groundspeed decreased from about 140 to 98 knots. Radar data then depicted a right turn to a heading of about 250° and a ground track that aligned with a golf course fairway. The airplane’s last radar-recorded position was about 550 feet from the accident site. No additional radar data were recorded.
According to witnesses, the airplane engine sputtered before making two loud “pop” or “back-fire” sounds. One witness reported that, after sputtering, the airplane “was on its left side flying crooked.” Another witness reported that the “unusual banking” made the airplane appear to be flying “like a ‘stunt’ in an air show.”
Two additional witnesses reported that the airplane was flying low when it turned to the left and “nose-dived” into their neighborhood. The airplane then hit a tree and the backyard of a residence.
A witness from an adjacent residence heard the impact, approached the wreckage immediately after the accident, and noted a “whitish gray smoke coming from the left engine.” He reported that “a small flame began rising from that same area.”
Video recorded on the witness’ mobile phone showed the area around the left engine engulfed in flames. The witness stated that the airplane was fully engulfed in flames about three minutes later.
A company pilot reported that the accident airplane had a fuel leak in the left wing and provided a photograph of the fuel on the hangar floor, taken about a week before the accident. The company pilot also reported that the accident airplane was due to be exchanged with another company PA-31-350 the week before the accident so that the fuel leak could be isolated and repaired but that the airplane remained parked for a few days and was not exchanged. The accident pilot was then assigned to fly the airplane.
The accident airplane was flown by another company pilot about a month before the accident, and he had to perform an unscheduled single-engine landing at Smyrna Airport (KMQY) in Tennessee. The pilot stated that he secured the right engine after an indication of low oil pressure and that maintenance work to address “external oil leaks” was performed at an FBO at KMQY. Review of the airplane’s maintenance records revealed no entries associated with any repairs following this event.
Probable Cause: Fuel starvation to the left engine and the resulting loss of engine power to that engine, and a loss of airplane control due to the pilot’s failure to maintain the minimum controllable airspeed.
This March 2019 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
I’ve often heard the old adage that having a second engine only allows you to fly to the scene of the accident. I know that’s apocryphal, however, for whatever reason it seems to happen with some regularity with twins.
…hence my question to us all about continuing practice and training.
Operation of the aircraft on what appeared to be a non-emergency, routine flight with a known fuel leak in the left wing and recent right engine shutdown for oil leaks / loss of oil pressure? Then to fly past 8 other airports to avoid maintenance less than 30 miles from home? There must have been a lot of pressure on the pilot to “fly it or else”. I have to wonder about the dispatch/operations decisions which assigned this company pilot to this aircraft that should have been down for maintenance. Of course, the PIC is the last and greatest authority to accept the flight, but shouldn’t there be some accountability on the part of the company? This sounds like a simple scenario: pilot makes right decision and looks for job -or- pilot makes wrong decision and dies.
BTW, there was no weight given in the Accident Report but the aircraft should have been able to perform and maintain higher than Vmc even at max gross. The pilot had over 1,350 hours in make and model so he should have known how to manage an engine loss. But, how often do any of us practice single engine approaches once we get the ticket unless we are part of a safety conscious company?