SAN DIEGO, CA, USA
N2180P
PIPER PA23-150
THE STUDENT & INSTRUCTOR (CFI) WERE PRACTICING TOUCH & GO LANDINGS. DURING TAKEOFF FROM THE 4TH TOUCH & GO, THE LEFT ENG LOST POWER WHILE CLIMBING THRU ABOUT 200 FT AGL. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE ACFT. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE STUDENT SAW OIL COMING FROM THE LEFT ENG. THE CFI FEATHERED THE LEFT ENG, & AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS VIBRATING & INDICATING 100 MPH. THE CFI LOWERED THE NOSE TO MAINTAIN THE BEST SINGLE ENG RATE OF CLIMB SPEED. HOWEVER, AT THAT SPEED, THE ACFT WAS IN A DESCENT. THE CFI CONTINUED OVER ROUGH TERRAIN TOWARD POWER LINES UNTIL HE REALIZED THE ACFT WOULD NOT CONTINUE TO FLY, THEN TURNED TO THE MOST SUITABLE TERRAIN & CRASH LANDED. AN EXAM OF THE LEFT ENG REVEALED A BROKEN OIL COOLER LINE. HOWEVER, 4 QTS OF OIL WAS STILL REMAINING & THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT THE LOSS OF OIL HAD CAUSED THE ENG FAILURE. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE HEAVILY SOOTED, WHICH WAS INDICATIVE OF AN EXTREMELY RICH MIXTURE. ROUGH SPOTS WERE FOUND ON THE CARBURETOR FLOAT CHAMBER NEEDLE VLV, WHICH REPORTEDLY COULD HAVE ALLOWED THE VLV TO STICK OPEN.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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