# Accident 19971126043249A: Piper PA32300, Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands, November 26, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 26, 1997, 07:22 local time
- Place: Obyan, Northern Mariana Islands
- Airport: Saipan International
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: PIVA
- Aircraft: N1256H, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1256H-1998-08-28) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-300 (registry code 7103212, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 50 in this make and model, 90 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA046) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971126043249A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT REPORTED LEFT SIDE ENGINE CYLINDERS SEPERATED ON A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT FOR ENGINE VIBRATIONS. DITCHED. (.4)THE PILOT WAS CONDUCTING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND HE MADE A FORCED LANDING.  TWO DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT TEST FLIGHT, A COMPANY PILOT MADE AN UNSCHEDULED LANDING DUE TO A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE WITH A VIBRATION.  A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT INSPECTION DISCREPANCY LOGS AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL REMOVED AND CLEANED THE FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLES, THE SERVO UNIT SCREEN WAS FLUSHED, AND A COMPRESSION CHECK WAS COMPLETED.  FOUR ENGINE GROUND RUNS WERE CONDUCTED WITH A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND VIBRATIONS NOTED IN THE FIRST THREE RUNS.  THE FOURTH GROUND RUN DID NOT NOTE ANY ANOMALIES.  REVIEW OF THE RECORDS FOUND TWO OPERATOR'S INSPECTION DISCREPANCY RECORDS FOR THIS AIRCRAFT.  EXAMINATION OF THE DOCUMENTS DISCLOSED THAT THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME, EXCEPT FOR ITEM NUMBER 3.  ON THE FIRST DOCUMENT THE ITEM 3 DISCREPANCY STATED THAT THE NO. 5 CYLINDER FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLE NEEDED REPLACEMENT, WITH A FURTHER NOTE THAT NONE WERE IN STOCK.  ON THE SECOND DOCUME                                     NT ITEM 3 SAID THAT THE FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLES WERE CLEANED AND REINSTALLED, AND THAT A GROUND RUN-UP WAS NORMAL.  THE COMPANY DISPATCHER INSTRUCTED THE PILOT TO PERFORM THE TEST FLIGHT AS THE AIRPLANE SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO SERVICE THE SAME DAY.  THE PILOT PERFORMED THE GROUND CHECKLIST, WHICH INCLUDED CHECKING THE MAGNETOS AND PROPELLER.  HE DID NOT NOTE ANY DISCREPANCIES.  AFTER TAKEOFF NO ENGINE PERFORMANCE MALFUNCTIONS WERE NOTED; HOWEVER, WHILE ON BASE LEG, THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BANGED THREE TIMES AND THEN PARTS FLEW THROUGH THE ENGINE COLWING.  THE COLWING SEPARATED AND STRUCK THE EMPENNAGE.  THE PILOT SUBSEQUENTLY DITCHED THE AIRCRAFT IN THE OCEAN, WHERE IT SANK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED.                                                   (-23)THE AIRCRFT SUSTAINED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WHILE PERFORMING A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT WAS LOST IN WATER APPROXIAMTELY 200' DEEP AND WAS NOT RECOVERED.  THIS INVESTIGATION CONCLUDED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS CATASTROPIC ENGINE FAILURE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN.

## 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 LAX98LA046](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX98LA046), Nov 26, 1997: Piper PA-32-300 (N1256H), Saipan, Mali, destroyed. Probable cause: The loss of engine power for undetermined reasons that resulted in the pilot ditching the aircraft into the ocean.

## Other reports on N1256H (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 19940224016629I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19940224016629I), Feb 24, 1994: Piper PA32300 (N1256H), Minor damage. Engine rough after takeoff. Forced landing on tinian island. NR6 cylinder assembly failed at mounting flange.

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.

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