DEN88LA024

Factual narrative

BFR TKOF, SNOW WAS MELTED OFF THE ACFT IN A HEATED HANGAR. THE FLT WAS BGN IN BLOWING SNOW WITH A FORECAST OF OCNL MOD ICING TO 20,000'. THE PLT SAID THE SNOW LASTED ONLY 5 TO 10 MIN & ONLY A TRACE OF ICE (LESS 1/16 INCH) ACCUMULATED DRG THE 1ST 15 MIN OF FLT. NO FURTHER ACCUMULATION OF ICE WAS NOTED. APRX 45 MIN AFTER TKOF, WHILE CRUISING IN IMC CONDUCIVETO INDUCTION SYS ICING, THE ENG SUDDENLY LOST PWR & WOULD NOT RESTART. THE PLT DSCNDD TWD AN ARPT IN IMC TO APRX 400' AGL, BUT MADE A WHEELS-UP LNDG WHEN HE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT. HE ATTRIBUTED THE LOSS OF PWR TO BLOCKAGE OF THE AIR INDUCTION FILTER. THE INDUCTION SYS WAS EQUIPPED WITH A SPRING LOADED DOOR WHICH WAS INTENDED TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY & ALLOW HEATED ALTN AIR TO FLOW TO THE ENG IN THE EVENT THE FILTER BCM BLOCKED. NONETHELESS, PIPER INDCD THAT OPN IN ICINGCONDS COULD CAUSE ICE TO ACCUMULATE IN THE FUEL INJECTION SYS & RESULT IN LOSS OF PWR. TO AVOID THIS, PIPER SVC BULLETINNO: 861 WAS ISSUED ON 5/4/87 FOR INSTLN OF AN IMPROVED MANUALLY OPERATED ALTN AIR SYS ON FUEL INJECTED PA-24-260 ACFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12