PA-28R Cherokee Arrow All Series
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 1505; Flight Crew Type 650
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Inflight Shutdown; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Logbook Entry; Procedure; Aircraft
I was contacted by a 79 year old gentleman who asked me to fly in his airplane with him. He said he was unable to fly alone due to a heart murmur and recent loss of medical. He said he had a newly overhauled engine and prop on a turbocharged 6 cylinder piper arrow IV and needed to put some time on the engine and fly it. I agreed and told him that I have several hundred hours in my dad's piper arrow IV.  We met on the Sunday afternoon and I looked at the airworthiness and registration and verified the POH was in the airplane. We both did a proper preflight of the aircraft and then took off. We went to a nearby airport where we did one touch and go before returning to the home airport.  He flew the entire trip and I did the radios for him. It was a beautiful day outside with blue clear skies and 85 degree temperatures. The only negative information that was relayed in the weather briefers conversation to me was that there would be moderate turbulence below 8;000 feet. Neither one of us filed a flight plan and instead I requested flight following for the entire trip and was talking to Approach and Center for the entire time. As we were getting close to our destination; Approach handed us off and told us to contact Tower and to expect the visual into Runway 26. As I dialed in the numbers on the radio; the engine began to sputter and cough and would not produce power. I checked in with the Tower and told them we might not make the airport. We immediately pitched for best glide speed of 97 knots and completed the emergency checklist for loss of power in flight. When none of those items resolved the problem or helped; we aimed for the best field I could see. As we got closer to the field; I saw a section of the road where there was no power lines or telephone poles; as well as no traffic; and instead chose to land on a Highway. At this point in time; I took the controls of the aircraft from the owner following a verbal confirmation and landed the airplane myself on the road. There was no damage done to the airplane and no damage done to any public or personal property and the emergency landing was textbook perfect. We still are not sure why the engine malfunctioned or stopped producing power. Additionally; after this emergency landing; I then recently have found out from the owner that he was mistaken about his aircraft being in annual and he somehow 'forgot' that he didn't get the annual accomplished in time this year. I was never provided logs and was told that it was fine before flying. Huge lesson learned.
Upon arrival at our destination; a single touch and go landing was accomplished; and then a climb out to 8;500 FT MSL for the return to our home airport. The engine in this aircraft had been recently overhauled with a total time of approximately 5 hours since re-build. And; the purpose for the flight was to add hours on the engine to get through the break in period. This engine rebuild was done subsequently to a prior rebuild made necessary because of wrong parts used in the first instance. Specifically; push rod seals which were the wrong length came apart and fouled the engine.At an appropriate point during the return to our home airport; a descent was initiated by retarding the throttle with a target altitude of 7;000 FT MSL. This was to avoid Class B airspace and make a straight in approach to Runway 26. Upon reaching 7;000 FT MSL the throttle was advanced to stop the descent. However; the engine did not respond. The manifold pressure remained at 20 inches. Emergency procedures failed to change the engine response or descent rate and since we were still 11 miles east of our destination; it was apparent that an off field landing was imminent. A landing on the highway was performed without damage to the aircraft or injury to the occupants. The engine continued to run on the ground which enabled taxiing to a private residence driveway so that the highway was not blocked. Constant communication with the Tower was maintained and they notified the appropriate authorities of the situation. Personnel from the FAA came to the site and classified this as an occurrence.Two days later; an inspector with the FAA upon reviewing the aircraft logbooks determined that the plane was out of annual. This oversight was inadvertent and possibly due to confusion because of a series of dealings with the repair shop and various mechanics.
A PA-28 owner without a medical asked an instructor to fly with him to add hours to his newly overhauled engine. The engine quit for unknown reasons but a safe off airport landing followed. The PIC instructor did not know that the annual had not been completed until the FAA inspected the aircraft.