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NYC90LA228

1990-09-23 · FRANCONIA, New Hampshire, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 1B5

Current FAA registration · N2770M

Make / Model
PIPER PA-12
Year of manufacture
1946 · 44 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-235 SERIES (115 hp)
Seats / Engines
3 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19551111
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A2C2E1

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE LANDING OF THE AIRPLANE IN UNSUITABLE TERRAIN, DUE TO THE MECHANICAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE CENTER MUFFLER BAFFLE, WHICH BLOCKED THE EXHAUST FLOW, RESULTING IN A LOSS OF POWER.

Factual narrative

THE AIRPLANE WAS ON A SIGHTSEEING TRIP CRUISING AT 1500' WHEN, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, 'A BACKFIRE WAS HEARD AND THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED PARTIAL POWER LOSS. SUFFICIENT POWER WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR CONTINUED FLIGHT. AN EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE IN THE TREES.' A MAINTENANCE FACILITY EXAMINED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THE CENTER MUFFLER BAFFLE HAD BROKEN LOOSE AND HAD BLOCKED THE EXHAUST FLOW. THIS RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_NYC90LA228.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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