# Accident 19971206037489A: Piper PA24400, Cairo, MO, December 6, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 6, 1997, 09:30 local time
- Place: Cairo, MO
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.5103° N, 92.4396° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.5103&lon=-92.4396&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8452P, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8452P) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-24-400 (registry code 7102408, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-24-400) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA24400
- Reported engine: LYC IO720A1A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 768 total, 553 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CHI98LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA055) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19971206037489A

## Narrative

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

EXHAUST LEAK CAUSED PILOT TO PASS OUT. AIRCRAFT RAN OUT OF FUEL THEN CRASHED. (.4) THE PILOT HAD CLIMBED TO 5,500 FT MSL & HAD TRIMMED THE AIRPLANE AT CRUISE POWER SETTINGS. HE SET THE GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM FOR A DIRECT FLIGHT, THEN ENGAGED THE AUTOPILOT & SWITCHED THE FUEL SELECTOR TO THE LEFT AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. HE REMEMBERED PASSING HERRINGTON, KS, AT WHICH TIME, HE SET HIS RADIOS FOR ARRIVAL AT TOPEKA, KS. FROM THAT POINT, HE COULD NOT REMEMBER ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE FLIGHT UNTIL HE 'AWOKE' IN A FLAT HAY FIELD NEAR CAIRO, MO. (THE AIRPLANE HAD TOUCHED DOWN IN A WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND SLID ABOUT 525 FT BEFORE HITTING A FENCE & SMALL TREES.)  WHEN THE PILOT 'INITIALLY AWOKE,' HE WAS CONFUSED & THOUGHT HE WAS STILL AIRBORNE. EVENTUALLY, HE WALKED TO A FARM HOUSE & AFTER WAITING ANOTHER 1 TO 1-1/2 HR, AN AMBULANCE ARRIVED TO TAKE HIM TO A HOSPITAL. SUBSEQUENTLY, BLOOD WAS DRAWN. TOXICOLOGY TESTS OF HIS BLOOD SHOWED 26.8% SATURATION WITH CARBON MONOXIDE. INSPECTION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THE RIGHT MUFFLER HAD A CRACK AROUND ONE OF ITS SEAMS, WHICH ALLOWED EXHAUST FUMES INTO THE CABIN HEATER HOUSING & INTO THE CABIN. THE AIRPLANE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN TO AN AIRPLANE SERVICE  CENTER FOR AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. THE PILOT DECIDED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE BEFORE THE ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF.

## 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 CHI98LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI98LA055), Dec 6, 1997: Piper PA-24 (N8452P), Cairo, MO, substantial damage. Probable cause: a fractured muffler, failure of the owner/pilot to ensured that the annual maintenance inspection had been completed before flight, and subsequent pilot incapacitation due to carbon monoxide…

## Other reports on N8452P (2)

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

- [Accident 19910312009259A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910312009259A), Mar 12, 1991: Piper PA24400 (N8452P), Fall River, MA, Substantial damage. Landed long on short runway. Overran runway into tall grass. Stopped by large rocks.
- [Incident 19780109002369I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19780109002369I), Jan 9, 1978: Piper PA24400 (N8452P), Grain Valley, MO, Minor damage. Gear collapsed on landing. Jack screw not fully extended, cb popped. Warning horn was disconnected.

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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