Piper PA22 N5581Z accident near Brownstown, Indiana

Probable cause

The total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the engine revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Contributing to the outcome was the student pilot's improper decision to conduct a solo cross-country flight at night, which resulted in the airplane being destroyed when it impacted a wooded area that the student thought was an open field.

NTSB analysis

The student pilot was conducting a night, solo, cross-country flight, and while en route with the landing and taxi lights on, the cockpit panel lights on bright, and his cell phone and tablet charging from the electrical system, the airplane lost all electrical power, followed by the loss of all engine power. Subsequently, the student cycled both the electrical system master switch and the engine magneto switch twice, but electrical and engine power were not restored. The student navigated to a dark area below the airplane's flightpath hoping it was an open field, but the airplane subsequently impacted a heavily wooded area and then came to rest upright. The student was not injured, but the airplane was destroyed.

The airplane's electrical system was equipped with a master switch that when turned on, routed all power through either a main or spare fuse. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the when the master switch was positioned to the spare fuse position the electrical system would not turn on because spare fuse had blown. The main fuse was intact, and when the electrical system was activated by toggling the master switch to the main fuse position, the electrical components powered on normally.

Based on the student's account of the flight and the blown spare fuse, it is possible that, during the flight, the electrical load drew an excessive current through the selected spare fuse, which resulted in it blowing and interrupting electrical power. The student's reported inability to restore electrical power by selecting the main fuse with the master switch could not be duplicated during postaccident testing. Further, postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The reason for the loss of engine power could not be determined. The investigation determined that the student had not received a flight endorsement for the solo flight; thus, he should not have been conducting the flight; however, having an endorsement would not have better prepared the student to deal with the reported engine issue.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA19LA022 for the full record.