# Accident 19990528006159A: Piper PA32R300, Valley Springs, CA, May 28, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 28, 1999, 16:23 local time
- Place: Valley Springs, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.1593° N, 120.8405° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.1593&lon=-120.8405&mi=10
- Aircraft: N38908, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N38908) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32R-300 (registry code 7103213, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA32R300
- Reported engine: LYC IO540K1G5D
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,525 total, 1,800 in this make and model, 30 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX99LA201](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA201) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990528006159A

## Narrative

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

ACFT LOST POWER, LANDED IN A FIELD. (.4)THE AIRPLANE HAD A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE WHILE THE PILOT WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 4,500 FEET.  THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND BEGAN TO PERFORM THE EMERGENCY CHECKLIST. THE PILOT LOCATED A FLAT FIELD AND STRUCK A BARBED WIRE FENCE DURING THE LANDING ROLL, WHICH DAMAGED THE WINGS AND COLLAPSED THE NOSE GEAR.  THE ENGINE WAS SENT BACK TO THE TEXTRON LYCOMING FACTORY FOR MATERIALS EXAMINATION.  THE NO. 6 CONNECTING ROD INITIALLY FRACTURED THROUGH THE CAP WITH THE FRACTURE MOST LIKELY INITIATING FROM AN AREA OF GALLING ON THE INNER DIAMETER OF THE CAP.  THE FRACTURE WAS PROPAGATED BY A FATIGUE MECHANISM UNTIL IT FAILED WITH CATASTROPHIC OVERLOAD.  FOLLOWING THE METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION ON THE NO. 6 CONNECTING ROD AND ASSOCIATED COMPONENTS, ADDITIONAL DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE WAS ACCOMPLISHED THAT DID NOT CONFORM TO INVESTIGATIVE PROTOCOLS.  NO MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN OF THE CASE THROUGH BOLT TORQUE OR THE REMAINING ROD END CAP BOLT TORQUE.  NO DETERMINATION WAS MADE WHETHER THE BEARING INSERTS WERE OF THE CORRECT SIZE OR ASSEMBLED PROPERLY IN ENGINE BUILD-UP.  REVIEW OF THE ENGINE MAINTENANCE RECO                                       RDS DISCLOSED THAT IT WAS REMANUFACTURED BY THE LYCOMING FACTORY IN 1991, AND HAD OPERATED 869 HOURS SINCE REBUILD AND INSTALLATION IN THE AIRFRAME. NO REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF CYLINDERS WAS NOTED IN THE RECORDS.          (-23)AIRCRAFT MADE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING DUE TO CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT.

## 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 LAX99LA201](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX99LA201), May 28, 1999: Piper PA-32R-300 (N38908), Valley Springs, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fatigue failure and separation of the No. 6 connecting rod end cap, which led to a catastrophic failure of the engine. The fatigue crack initiation was due to galling on the rod end cap, which…

## Other reports on N38908 (1)

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

- [Accident 19900119005719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19900119005719A), Jan 19, 1990: Piper PA32R300 (N38908), Sacramento, CA, Substantial damage. Struck a large bird in traffic pattern at night. Impact damaged elevators imparing control but landed safely.

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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