# Accident 19970913030529A: Piper PA32RT300, Oxford, NC, September 13, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: September 13, 1997, 12:15 local time - Place: Oxford, NC - Airport: Henderson Oxford - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 36.3106° N, 78.5807° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.3106&lon=-78.5807&mi=10 - Aircraft: N9385C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N9385C) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-32RT-300 (registry code 7103215, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series (registry code 41533, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT300 - Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5D - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,785 total, 700 in this make and model, 46 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97LA243](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA243) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970913030529A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA97LA243](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA243), Sep 13, 1997: Piper PA-32RT-300 (N9385C), Oxford, NC, substantial damage. Probable cause: fatigue failure of the No.4 connecting rod in an area where galling had occurred, which resulted in loss of engine power and a forced landing. Related factors were: the pilot's lack of communication… ## Other reports on N9385C (4) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 20000429007279A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000429007279A), Apr 29, 2000: Piper PA32RT300 (N9385C), Mt Pleasant, SC, Substantial damage. (-23) Pilot reported during landing roll out approx. half way down the runway at 35 knots the a/c struck a deer. (.4)the pilot arrived at the destination… - [Incident 19900321004909I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900321004909I), Mar 21, 1990: Piper PA32RT300 (N9385C), Charlotte, NC, Minor damage. Pilot had electrical problems en route. Unable to lower gear. Landed gear up. - [Accident 19870702037409A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19870702037409A), Jul 2, 1987: Piper PA32RT300 (N9385C), Liberty, NC, Substantial damage. Overran the runway following an aborted takeoff. Ran down an embankment. At maximum gross weight. Aborted too late. - [Incident 19851018061519I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19851018061519I), Oct 18, 1985: Piper PA32RT300 (N9385C), Liberty, NC, Minor damage. At rotation, right main gear struck a dog. Diverted and found gear had separated aircraft. Safe landing made. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.