ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 385781
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| Date: | Monday 11 June 2001 |
| Time: | 15:20 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-140 |
| Owner/operator: | Wilson Air Services, LLC |
| Registration: | N43466 |
| MSN: | 28-7425370 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1974 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6646 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E3D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Dahlonega, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Dahlonega (9A0) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that while taking off on runway 15, about half way down the runway, he felt a loss of engine power and noticed he was not high enough to clear the high terrain in front of him. He decided to aim for a pasture to the right of the departure end of the runway. This is the last thing he recalls. The next thing he remembers is seeing the airplane wrecked in the airport building. After the accident the engine was placed on a test stand under the supervision of NTSB personnel. The engine was started and ran for a few seconds while producing white smoke, and then quit. The engine was again started and produced about 1,500 rpm. The engine operated roughly. The engine was shutdown and the No. 3 cylinder was found to not have an elevated temperature. The No. 3 cylinder was removed and the exhaust valve head was missing. The piston had impact damage from the exhaust valve head and a piece of the exhaust valve head was found in the cylinder. No part number was visible on the broken valve remnants. Metallurgical examination of the remnants of the No. 3 exhaust valve was performed by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The fracture surface on the stem portion of the valve was on a flat transverse plane, with large scale ratchet marks suggestive of fatigue cracking. In addition, three fatigue regions with clear crack arrest positions were noted on the fracture adjacent to the exterior surface of the stem. The exterior surface of the stem in the vicinity of the fracture surface revealed a heavy oxide or deposit scale. Logbook records show the engine was last overhauled at aircraft and engine total time 5,880 hours. At the time of the accident the aircraft and engine total time were 6,646 hours. Logbook records prior to December 12, 1995, had been lost. The engine overhaul had occurred prior to that date. No records concerning the engine overhaul were present in the remaining aircraft records.
Probable Cause: The failure of the No. 3 exhaust valve due to fatigue cracking for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and an in-flight collision with a building during an attempted forced landing to unsuitable terrain..
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB MIA01LA159
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Apr-2024 07:49 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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