ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 35707
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| Date: | Friday 10 December 1993 |
| Time: | 20:40 LT |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-301T |
| Owner/operator: | Edwards, Thomas E. |
| Registration: | N8340Y |
| MSN: | 32R-8129042 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1981 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Covington, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Vero Beach, FL (KVRB) |
| Atlanta, GA (KPDK) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS RETURNING TO HIS HOME BASE ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN. NIGHT, IMC PREVAILED. SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, HE INFORMED ATC THAT HIS INSTRUMENT GYRO HAD FAILED. HE LATER REPORTED THAT HIS INSTRUMENTS WERE WORKING; HOWEVER, THERE WAS A 'LIGHT ON'. HE THEN REPORTED THAT HE WAS 'IN TROUBLE'. ATC OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT IN A RAPID DESCENT PRIOR TO A LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED WOODED TERRAIN IN A STEEP, NOSE LOW ATTITUDE. AN EXAMINATION OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP HAD FAILED DUE TO OIL INGESTION. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT AN ENGINE OIL LEAK WAS REPAIRED IN JUNE 1993, AND THE ORIGIN OF THE LEAK WAS THE ENGINE ACCESSORY DRIVE SEAL, WHERE THE VACUUM PUMP ATTACHES TO THE ENGINE. THE FAILED PUMP WAS INSTALLED AS NEW ABOUT A WEEK PRIOR TO THE OIL LEAK REPAIR. THE PUMP THAT WAS REMOVED IN JUNE 1993, ALSO FAILED DUE TO OIL INGESTION.
Probable Cause: SPATIAL DISORIENTATION EXPERIENCED BY THE PILOT, RESULTING IN HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRCRAFT CONTROL. FACTORS WERE THE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN VACUUM PUMP, AND THE NIGHT, CLOUD CONDITIONS PREVAILING AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ATL94FA029
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:22 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 10-Apr-2024 09:45 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report] |
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