Event IAD97LA096

Factual narrative

On July 5, 1997, about 1945 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-160, N4022P, was substantially damaged as it collided with power lines during a single engine go around at the Hampton Airport, Hampton, New Hampshire. The certificated commercial pilot/co-owner and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot planned to shut down his left engine for a practice single engine approach, prior to landing on the 2,100 foot grass runway. After a local flight, the pilot returned to the airport and entered the traffic pattern. The pilot placed the landing gear down and secured the left engine on a left downwind leg. The flaps were pumped down on short final, and as he was about to land, the pilot noticed another airplane taking off in the opposite direction. The pilot stated that he executed a single engine go around and sidestepped to the right of the runway to avoid the other airplane. He manually pumped the flaps up and left the landing gear down. Unable to obtain a positive rate of climb, the pilot stated that he focused on maintaining 95 MPH airspeed. After completion of a left turn to reach a clear area, the pilot noticed the airspeed at 80 MPH. The airplane's left wing and landing gear snagged power lines, pulling the airplane to the ground about 300 feet west of the runway. It came to rest in an upright position and no post crash fire ensued. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. The airplane was certified under Civil Air Regulation (CAR) 3. There were no certification requirements for a single engine climb on multi-engine airplanes that weigh less than 6,000 pounds, and have stall speeds less than 70 miles per hour. According to the FAA publication FLYING LIGHT TWINS SAFELY, FAA-P-8740-19: "...Climb performance depends on an excess of power over that required for level flight. Loss of power from one engine obviously represents a 50% loss of power but, in virtually all light twins, climb performance is reduced by at least 80%...If you do find yourself in a position of not being able to climb, it's much better to pull the power on the good engine and landing straight ahead than try to force a climb and lose control..." The following excerpt was extracted from the Airplane Owners and Pilots Association publication, FLYING LIGHT-TWIN ENGINE AIRPLANES, CO23-109-12/95: "...When it is time to start single-engine activities, do so at a safe altitude (allowing for a recovery from all maneuvers above 3,000 [feet] (AGL) and near a suitable airport...some twins have little or no single-engine climb performance, which means no go-around capability...Practicing single-engine landings and go-arounds should only be done simulating engine failure by using zero thrust techniques. If you are unable to maintain altitude or climb, the zero-thrust engine can be used immediately..." The pilot shut down the left engine on the downwind leg for a practice single engine approach to the 2,100 foot grass runway. Prior to landing, the pilot noticed an airplane taking off in the opposite direction. The pilot performed a single engine go around and sidestepped to the right of the runway to avoid the other airplane. The flaps were pumped up and the landing gear was left down. Unable to maintain a positive rate of climb, the pilot turned left toward a clear area. Upon completion of the turn, the left wing and landing gear snagged power lines pulling the airplane to the ground about 300 feet west of the runway. The pilot did not report any malfunctions of the airplane. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12