NTSB Factual Report

On January 14, 2002, at approximately 1130 mountain standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, N6935Y, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a power loss in the right engine near Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The private pilot and his three passengers received minor injures. The pilot was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the cross-country flight that was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot said that both engines developed good power during the takeoff roll. After climbing to 8,400 feet, the right engine started missing badly and blue smoke was observed coming from the inboard side of the engine cowling. The pilot said that he shut the engine down, and turned back towards the airport. He decided to restart the right engine, but the engine seized up approximately 20 seconds after he restarted it. He performed a forced landing to a small field on a heavy forested ridge approximately 2 miles south of the airport. Both wings were bent, and the fuselage was wrinkled.

In the emergency section of the airplane's Pilot Owners Handbook (POH), the procedure for engine failure indicates that the second thing a pilot should do is feather the propeller. The POH does indicate that the airplane's single engine absolute ceiling is 6,400 feet. The salvage/recovery team reported that they found excessive oil on and around the right engine nacelle. The exact cause of the oil system failure was never determined.

NTSB Probable Cause

the total power failure of the right engine due to the failure of its lubricating system. Contributing factors were the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing, and the terrain being above the airplane's single engine performance capability.