ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 248012
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| Date: | Friday 19 February 2021 |
| Time: | 11:58 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N57014 |
| MSN: | 32-7400014 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1973 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 6308 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-E4B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Port of Los Angeles, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Torrance Airport, CA (TOA/KTOA) |
| Los Angeles, CA | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On February 19, 2021, about 1158, a Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six airplane, N57014, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident in Los Angeles, California. The pilot was fatally injured and a person on the ground sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane was experiencing engine problems and he was going to make an off-airport landing. The airplane contacted a semi-truck and a concrete barrier during the landing in a shipping harbor.
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 6 cylinder exhaust valve head was separated from the stem. A fatigue crack was found in the exhaust valve upper spring seat of the No. 6 cylinder assembly that likely led to the release of the exhaust valve. The crack formed at the base of the cup that housed the valve stem keys, causing a portion of the flange that supported the keys to separate. This could have allowed the exhaust valve to drop into the cylinder, impacting the piston, the cylinder head, and the exposed end of the valve guide before being sheared through the stem near the stem-to-fillet transition.
The findings suggest that the No. 6 exhaust valve may have been floating, which would have removed the compressive load on the keys and allowed them to move and rub against the support flange and sidewall of the spring seat cup. The compression test of the exhaust valve springs indicated that they did not pass, suggesting that a floating valve is a possibility. However, the No. 5 exhaust valve springs also did not pass, and similar wear features around the key cup were not observed in that instance. Because the keys and valve stem were not found (likely destroyed during the continual operation with the failed valve), it could not be determine if there was some issue with either component that could have contributed to the failure.
Probable Cause: The total loss of engine power due to the failure of the No. 6 exhaust valve for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/san-pedro-plane-crash-terminal-island/2531374/
https://abc7.com/plane-crash-san-pedro-harbor-semi/10354480/
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2021/02/19/plane-crash-in-san-pedro-area-leaves-1-dead-1-injured/
NTSB
https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/Search/NNumberResult
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N57014
Location
Images:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 19-Feb-2021 21:52 | Geno | Added |
| 20-Feb-2021 16:11 | Aerossurance | Updated [Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jul-2021 08:40 | aaronwk | Updated [Time, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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