19940731031909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-151 · Durham, NH · July 31, 1994

Date: July 31, 1994 · 11:00 local
Place: Durham, NH
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N41318
Reported as: Piper PA28151
Reported engine: Lycoming O320E3D
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 488 total420 in this make and model8 in the last 90 days

N41318Registered now · Piper PA-28-151S/N 28-7415169 · Built 1974 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-151 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: aircraft at level cruise 3500' lost power, changed fuel tanks, turned fuel pump on, carb heat on. One minute later, experienced total engine failure. Propeller stopped at 1200 position. Advised mht ATC. Pilot looked for safe landing site in open field. Pilot circled down to university of new hampshire corn field and landed due west, rolled 100' and came to an abrupt stop. FAA investigation noted heavy oil deposit on belly of aircraft. Engine investigation revealed oil cooler hose badly deteriorated, which was the cause of total loss of oil and subsequent engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT AT LEVEL CRUISE 3500' LOST POWER, CHANGED FUEL TANKS, TURNED FUEL PUMP ON, CARB HEAT ON. ONE MINUTE LATER, EXPERIENCED TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. PROPELLER STOPPED AT 1200 POSITION. ADVISED MHT ATC. PILOT LOOKED FOR SAFE LANDING SITE IN OPEN FIELD. PILOT CIRCLED DOWN TO UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE CORN FIELD AND LANDED DUE WEST, ROLLED 100' AND CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. FAA INVESTIGATION NOTED HEAVY OIL DEPOSIT ON BELLY OF AIRCRAFT. ENGINE INVESTIGATION REVEALED OIL COOLER HOSE BADLY DETERIORATED, WHICH WAS THE CAUSE OF TOTAL LOSS OF OIL AND SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE.