What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Engine failure due connecting rod galling. Landed hard bounced and left runway. Service bullitin prior to accident. (-23) on September 13, 1997, about 1215 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, N9385C, registered to a private individual, was landed hard duringa forced landing at the Henderson-Oxford airport, Oxford, north carolina. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an IFR flight plan was filed for the 14 CFR part 91 personal flight. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercial rated pilot and one (1) passenger were not injured. The flight originated about 1155 from the raleigh-durham international airport, raleigh, north carolina. The pilot stated that during cruise flight at 5,000 feet mean sea level in VFR conditions, he first felt an airframe vibration that continued after power reduction, increasing the propeller blade angle, and activation of the boost pump. He advised the controller of the emergency and asked the location of the closest airport which the controller advised the pilot of. The pilot then advised the controller that the airport was in sight and he flew toward that location. He then secu red the engine with the mixture control and simultaneously oil began covering the windshield. He was advised by the controller of the field elevation, runway length, then he advised the controller that oil was covering the windshield. While on a 1/8 to 1/4 mile final from the intended runway threshold, he observed another airplane ahead on short final. He maneuvered the airplane to the right and the airplane touched down hard then bounced twice. The landing gear then collapsed and the airplane traveled off the left side of the runway coming to rest upright on grass.
As the FAA filed it
ENGINE FAILURE DUE CONNECTING ROD GALLING. LANDED HARD BOUNCED AND LEFT RUNWAY. SERVICE BULLITIN PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 13, 1997, ABOUT 1215 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300, N9385C, REGISTERED TO A PRIVATE INDIVIDUAL, WAS LANDED HARD DURINGA FORCED LANDING AT THE HENDERSON-OXFORD AIRPORT, OXFORD, NORTH CAROLINA. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 PERSONAL FLIGHT. THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED AND THE COMMERCIAL RATED PILOT AND ONE (1) PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED ABOUT 1155 FROM THE RALEIGH-DURHAM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA. THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 5,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL IN VFR CONDITIONS, HE FIRST FELT AN AIRFRAME VIBRATION THAT CONTINUED AFTER POWER REDUCTION, INCREASING THE PROPELLER BLADE ANGLE, AND ACTIVATION OF THE BOOST PUMP. HE ADVISED THE CONTROLLER OF THE EMERGENCY AND ASKED THE LOCATION OF THE CLOSEST AIRPORT WHICH THE CONTROLLER ADVISED THE PILOT OF. THE PILOT THEN ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT THE AIRPORT WAS IN SIGHT AND HE FLEW TOWARD THAT LOCATION. HE THEN SECU RED THE ENGINE WITH THE MIXTURE CONTROL AND SIMULTANEOUSLY OIL BEGAN COVERING THE WINDSHIELD. HE WAS ADVISED BY THE CONTROLLER OF THE FIELD ELEVATION, RUNWAY LENGTH, THEN HE ADVISED THE CONTROLLER THAT OIL WAS COVERING THE WINDSHIELD. WHILE ON A 1/8 TO 1/4 MILE FINAL FROM THE INTENDED RUNWAY THRESHOLD, HE OBSERVED ANOTHER AIRPLANE AHEAD ON SHORT FINAL. HE MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT AND THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN HARD THEN BOUNCED TWICE. THE LANDING GEAR THEN COLLAPSED AND THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY COMING TO REST UPRIGHT ON GRASS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N9385C · 4
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.