ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 357780
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| Date: | Tuesday 13 February 1996 |
| Time: | 14:04 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-300 |
| Owner/operator: | Florida Dept. Of Agriculture |
| Registration: | N8951N |
| MSN: | 32-40753 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1970 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 3414 hours |
| Engine model: | LYCOMING IO-540-K1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Windermere, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Kissimmee, FL (KISM) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight departed Kissimmee, Florida, on a forest fire spotting mission. The engine began to run rough and lost power. The airplane landed in an orange grove, striking a tree. An engine examination revealed that improper connecting rod bolts had been used in the engine. The bolts in two connecting rods failed, resulting in the failure of the engine. Investigation determined that the bolts were manufactured in the '80s and became available in the U.S. market in February 1994. The bolts were obtained by a repair station on June 1994 and installed in connecting rod assemblies that were in storage. The overhaul date on the work order for the stored rod assemblies was not changed at that time, and it continued to indicate an overhaul date of 2/9/94. The stored rod assemblies were then installed in the engine during an overhaul in October 1994. In March 1995, an AD was issued to inspect engines with connecting rod bolts installed on or since 2/15/94. The AD was not complied with on the engine because the repair station certified that the rod assemblies had been overhauled on 2/9/94, before the effective date of the AD.
Probable Cause: the use of improper connecting rod bolts, failure of the overhaul facility to record the correct overhaul date on the work orders for the stored connecting rod assemblies, and subsequent failure of the connecting rod bolts.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ATL96TA047
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Mar-2024 06:32 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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