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19960213001679A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Windermere, FL · February 13, 1996

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 13, 1996 · 13:04 local
Place
Windermere, FL
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8951N
NTSB investigation
NTSBATL96TA047
Reported as
Piper PA32300
Reported engine
Lycoming IO540K1A5
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,755 total26 in this make and model41 in the last 90 days
N8951NRegistration cancelled May 17, 2013 · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-40753 · Built 1970Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

Public use for forestery service on a fire spotting mission, engine rough, oil on windscreen landed in orange grove (.4)the flight departed kissimmee, Florida, on a forest fire spotting mission. The engine began to run rough and lost power. The airplane landed in an orange grove, striking a tree. An engine examination revealed that improper connecting rod bolts had been used in the engine. The bolts in two connecting rods failed, resulting in the failure of the engine. Investigation determined that the bolts were manufactured in the '80S and became available in the U.S. Market in February 1994. The bolts were obtained by a repair station on June 1994 and installed in connecting rod assemblies that were in storage. The overhaul date on the work order for the stored rod assemblies was not changed at that time, and it continued to indicate an overhaul date of 2/9/94. The stored rod assemblies were then installed in the engine during an overhaul in October 1994. In March 1995, an AD was issued to inspect engines with connecting rod bolts installed on or since 2/15/94. The AD was not complied with on the engine because the repair station certified that the rod assemblies had been overhauled on 2/9/94, before the effective date of the AD.

As the FAA filed it

PUBLIC USE FOR FORESTERY SERVICE ON A FIRE SPOTTING MISSION, ENGINE ROUGH, OIL ON WINDSCREEN LANDED IN ORANGE GROVE (.4)THE FLIGHT DEPARTED KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA, ON A FOREST FIRE SPOTTING MISSION. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH AND LOST POWER. THE AIRPLANE LANDED IN AN ORANGE GROVE, STRIKING A TREE. AN ENGINE EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT IMPROPER CONNECTING ROD BOLTS HAD BEEN USED IN THE ENGINE. THE BOLTS IN TWO CONNECTING RODS FAILED, RESULTING IN THE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE. INVESTIGATION DETERMINED THAT THE BOLTS WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE '80S AND BECAME AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. MARKET IN FEBRUARY 1994. THE BOLTS WERE OBTAINED BY A REPAIR STATION ON JUNE 1994 AND INSTALLED IN CONNECTING ROD ASSEMBLIES THAT WERE IN STORAGE. THE OVERHAUL DATE ON THE WORK ORDER FOR THE STORED ROD ASSEMBLIES WAS NOT CHANGED AT THAT TIME, AND IT CONTINUED TO INDICATE AN OVERHAUL DATE OF 2/9/94. THE STORED ROD ASSEMBLIES WERE THEN INSTALLED IN THE ENGINE DURING AN OVERHAUL IN OCTOBER 1994. IN MARCH 1995, AN AD WAS ISSUED TO INSPECT ENGINES WITH CONNECTING ROD BOLTS INSTALLED ON OR SINCE 2/15/94. THE AD WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH ON THE ENGINE BECAUSE THE REPAIR STATION CERTIFIED THAT THE ROD ASSEMBLIES HAD BEEN OVERHAULED ON 2/9/94, BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE AD.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ATL96TA047Accident · Minor injuriesFinal reportWindermere, FLthe use of improper connecting rod bolts, failure of the overhaul facility to record the correct overhaul date on the work orders for the stored connecting rod assemblies, and subsequent failure of the connecting rod bolts.Feb 13, 1996 · Substantial damage