19960307006019I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-31-350 · Grand Island, NE · March 7, 1996

Date: March 7, 1996 · 05:35 local
Place: Grand Island, NE
Airport: Central Nebraska Regional
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N23NP
Reported as: Piper PA31350
Reported engine: Lycoming LTIO540J2BD
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0

N23NPRegistration cancelled Oct 22, 1997 · Piper PA-31-350S/N 318352007 Airframe modelPiper PA-31-350

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: the aircraft was enroute from columbus, Nebraska to north platte, Nebraska when about 25 minutes out of columbus the pilot felt the aircraft shudder; manifold pressure on the right hand engine dropped. The pilot noticed a fire in the cowling and shut down the engine, declared an emergency and asked for the nearest airport. The pilot was directed to Grand Island, Nebraska where an uneventful landing was made. The investigation revealed the #1 cylinder connecting rod came through the top of the case spraying oil on the exhaust causing the fire. Some fire damage occurred to the flap, gear door and lower wing skin. This incident is closed with this report.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENROUTE FROM COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA TO NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA WHEN ABOUT 25 MINUTES OUT OF COLUMBUS THE PILOT FELT THE AIRCRAFT SHUDDER; MANIFOLD PRESSURE ON THE RIGHT HAND ENGINE DROPPED. THE PILOT NOTICED A FIRE IN THE COWLING AND SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND ASKED FOR THE NEAREST AIRPORT. THE PILOT WAS DIRECTED TO GRAND ISLAND, NEBRASKA WHERE AN UNEVENTFUL LANDING WAS MADE. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE #1 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD CAME THROUGH THE TOP OF THE CASE SPRAYING OIL ON THE EXHAUST CAUSING THE FIRE. SOME FIRE DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE FLAP, GEAR DOOR AND LOWER WING SKIN. THIS INCIDENT IS CLOSED WITH THIS REPORT.