# Accident 19800203002049A: Piper PA24250, Clearwater, FL, February 3, 1980

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 3, 1980, 15:40 local time
- Place: Clearwater, FL
- Airport: St. Petersburg-Cl
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9794° N, 82.7713° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Clearwater, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9794&lon=-82.7713&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7697P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7697P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-250 (registry code 7102404, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-250) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24250
- Reported engine: LYC O540A1D5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,396 total, 1,111 in this make and model, 33 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA80FLD36](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA80FLD36) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19800203002049A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ENGINE THREW A CONNECTING ROD DURING CLIMBOUT. UNABLE TO RETURN TO AIRPORT. DITCHED IN BAY OFF END OF RUNWAY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA80FLD36](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA80FLD36), Feb 3, 1980: Piper PA-24 (N7697P), Clearwater, FL, substantial damage

## Other reports on N7697P (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19981222044869I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981222044869I), Dec 22, 1998: Piper PA24250 (N7697P), Sherman-Denison, TX, Substantial damage. (-5)Landing gear indicated unsafe in traffic pattern. Attemps were made to obtain a safe/down and locked gear without success. Landed gear up. Suspect…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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