Flight Instructor Declared An Emergency With ATC And Took The Airplane Controls From The Pilot Receiving Instruction

Location: Boscobel, WI Accident Number: CEN25LA053
Date & Time: December 1, 2024, 18:21 Local Registration: N41997
Aircraft: Piper PA-28R-200 Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Instructional

On December 1, 2024, at 1821 central standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, N41997, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Boscobel, Wisconsin. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight.

According to the flight instructor, they were established in cruise on the return leg of a night cross-country instructional flight at 9,000 ft mean sea level, when they noticed an odor in the cockpit. The flight instructor noted no issues in the cockpit, and adjusted the heat control, in which the odor diminished. The flight instructor then noticed an opaque windscreen and immediately thought they had encountered icing conditions. The flight instructor contacted air traffic control (ATC) and requested a lower altitude. Utilizing a flashlight, the flight instructor illuminated the windscreen and noticed a “brown river” completely obscuring their forward visibility. The cockpit oil pressure gauge indicated little to no oil pressure.

The flight instructor declared an emergency with ATC and took the airplane controls from the pilot receiving instruction. The flight instructor located the nearest airport to attempt a forced landing. During the forced landing to the airport with the windscreen covered in engine oil, the airplane impacted terrain adjacent to the runway surface, bounced, and came to rest upright. 

The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right horizontal stabilator. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed engine oil on the top engine cowling, windscreen, and empennage. No evidence of an uncontained engine failure was noted. The airplane was retained for further examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov