ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 44265
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| Date: | Wednesday 23 November 2005 |
| Time: | 10:41 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-300 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N666DE |
| MSN: | 32-7540161 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1975 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2976 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mims, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | West Palm Beach, FL (F45) |
| Greenville, SC (GMU) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During cruise flight, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane's engine had ceased operating and declared an emergency. Subsequently, the pilot reported that there was "oil all over the windshield" and that he was attempting a forced landing. The airplane collided with trees in a densely wooded area. No witnesses to the accident were identified. During examination of the wreckage, oil was noted on the bottom of the fuselage, the inboard bottom skins of the left and right wings, and the tail surfaces. The #2 cylinder was found separated from the engine. Examination of the engine revealed that all 8 of the fasteners (6 studs and 2 through bolts) securing the #2 cylinder to the crankcase were separated. Fretting was noted on the mating surfaces of the cylinder base flange and the crankcase deck (flat face around the cylinder bore) and on the mating surfaces of the crankcase halves. Metallurgical examination of the 8 fasteners indicated they all separated due to fatigue cracking probably due to insufficient clamping force. Insufficient clamping force can result from improper torque application at cylinder installation or from the clamped surfaces moving closer over time. Fracture of the studs led to separation of the #2 cylinder from the crankcase and a loss of engine power. Examination of the maintenance records showed that the engine had accumulated about 839 hours since a major overhaul approximately 13 years prior to the accident. There were no entries in the records indicating removal of the #2 cylinder since the major overhaul.
Probable Cause: The loss of engine power due to improper installation of the #2 cylinder by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the separation of the cylinder as a result of fatigue cracking of the cylinder to crankcase fasteners. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20051130X01904&key=1
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 25 December 2001 | N666DE | Cherokee LLC | 0 | Olathe, Kansas | |
sub |
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 28-Oct-2008 00:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:24 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 06-Dec-2017 11:34 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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