Two -engine Piper Seneca: Danger when climbing after the engine failure!
Two -engine Piper Seneca: Danger when climbing after the engine failure!
A serious incident occurred at the Osnabrück-Attereheide airfield when a Piper Pa-34 Seneca got into trouble during the start. The 30-year-old professional pilot was at the wheel, accompanied by three passengers and planned an IFR flight to Offenburg. The flight conditions were moderate, but unexpected problems occurred as soon as the machine was withdrawn.
at 11:05 a.m. the Seneca started on slopes 09. Immediately after lifting, the pilot found that the left engine performed hardly any power, which led to a critical situation. Due to the asymmetrical thrust, the aircraft tended to the left, and the pilot had to quickly decide how to avoid it, even though the round was in the opposite direction.
technical challenges at the Piper Seneca
When the plane continued to get into the air, the performance of the remaining engine became inadequate. The pilot had no choice when a crash landing was trying on a field because it couldn't keep enough height. The approach to turbulent winds meant that the machine finally put on with the left wing first, turned 180 degrees and came to a standstill. Two of the occupants suffered serious injuries, while the other two were only slightly injured.
The subsequent investigation of the incident by the Federal Aviation Accident Investment Investigation (BFU) presented the experts with some riddle. The central question was why the left engine lost so dramatically in performance at the start. After the accident, the engine was tested and showed no mechanical defects, apart from damage caused by the impact.
A detailed check of the fuel system showed that there was no fuel in the fuel distribution reserve of the left engine at the time of the incident. The cause of this phenomenon could not be clearly determined. There were considerations that a sporadic error in the fuel system or a faulty position of the fuel valve could have been available. Even if the pilot stated that they had opened both valves, incorrect operation could not be excluded.
Problems with performance and emergency planning
Another important concern was why the remaining engine was not enough to keep the aircraft in the air. According to findings, the speed that is necessary for an efficient riser had not been reached. The pilot reached temperatures between 63 and 74 nodes, which was far too low to guarantee a safe riser.
In addition, it turned out that the propeller of the unusual engine quickly came to a standstill, which also tightened the situation. This was done due to the 'Start Locks', which prevented the propeller from moving into a stateless position, which seriously impaired the flight performance. In addition, the pilot may not be able to collect the chassis after lifting, which the examination could not clearly clarify.
Another critical point was the overload of the aircraft, which exceeded the permissible weight limit by about 60 kilograms. This overload could also have negatively influenced the flight dynamics. The report by the BFU also pointed out that the pilot had not carried out an emergency briefing, in which possible scenarios could be discussed in the event of a engine failure.
The investigators emphasized that there were suitable emergency landing areas near the airport, while the path that the plane took after the start was over inhabited area. According to the guidelines, the pilot should fly to the functioning engine in the event of an engine failure, which may also not have been carried out. These findings illustrate the enormous stress and pressure that the pilot was exposed to in this critical situation, which can lead to mistakes.
This incident at the Osnabrück-ACTRHEIDE airfield shows the fundamentally important lessons of aviation, in particular the need to design an emergency plan before each flight and to adhere to the prescribed procedures. Even if the pilot had followed all the guidelines, the performance of the aircraft would have been limited with just a functioning engine.
For a deeper examination of the backgrounds and the recent findings on this incident, The report up www.fliegermagazin.de available.
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