19961201036949A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Sugarloaf Key, FL · December 1, 1996

Date: December 1, 1996 · 12:00 local
Place: Sugarloaf Key, FL
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N9545J
NTSB investigation: NTSBMIA97LA032
Reported as: Piper PA28180
Reported engine: Lycoming O360A4A
Fatal injuries: 0

N9545JRegistration cancelled Jun 27, 2013 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-3693 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

Black smoke power loss. Struck brush landing on road. Swung around 180 degrees. Rod cap detached. Installed wrong. (-23) aircraft N9545J departed key west international airport at 12 pm with one passenger on board. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight the aircraft engine started to make unusual sounds of clanging and smoking. The engine began to lose power and the aircraft started lose altitiude. This was confirmed by two witnesses on the ground. The pilot elected to perform an emergency landing. He attempted to land on county road 939 located on sugar loaf key, FL, close to mile marker 19. After touchdown on road 939 the aircraft veered off to the left. The aircraft's left wing impacted trees and the aircraft spun around 180 degrees and came to rest off the road. The pilot suffered a broken ankle and two bones in his left foot. The passenger suffered minor cuts and abrasions.

As the FAA filed it

BLACK SMOKE POWER LOSS. STRUCK BRUSH LANDING ON ROAD. SWUNG AROUND 180 DEGREES. ROD CAP DETACHED. INSTALLED WRONG. (-23) AIRCRAFT N9545J DEPARTED KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT 12 PM WITH ONE PASSENGER ON BOARD. APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE UNUSUAL SOUNDS OF CLANGING AND SMOKING. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER AND THE AIRCRAFT STARTED LOSE ALTITIUDE. THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY TWO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND. THE PILOT ELECTED TO PERFORM AN EMERGENCY LANDING. HE ATTEMPTED TO LAND ON COUNTY ROAD 939 LOCATED ON SUGAR LOAF KEY, FL, CLOSE TO MILE MARKER 19. AFTER TOUCHDOWN ON ROAD 939 THE AIRCRAFT VEERED OFF TO THE LEFT. THE AIRCRAFT'S LEFT WING IMPACTED TREES AND THE AIRCRAFT SPUN AROUND 180 DEGREES AND CAME TO REST OFF THE ROAD. THE PILOT SUFFERED A BROKEN ANKLE AND TWO BONES IN HIS LEFT FOOT. THE PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR CUTS AND ABRASIONS.

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 MIA97LA032Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSugarloaf Key, FLa complete loss of engine power due to a disconnected connecting rod cap.Dec 1, 1996 · Substantial damage