19991110030349I

Incident

FAA incident report · Piper PA46350P · Mount Sterling, KY · November 10, 1999

Date: November 10, 1999 · 12:13 local
Place: Mount Sterling, KY
Airport: Montgomery County Airport
Phase of flight: Descent
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft: N117NJ
Reported as: Piper PA46350P
Reported engine: Lycoming TIO540*
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,330 total30 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot was descending from 19000 feet to 13000 feet at 31" mp and 2500 RPM. Without warning the engine begin producing a "deep guttural sound", followed by a "pop". (Pilot description) the engine seized and oil covered the windshielf. The pilot declared and emergency with indianapolis center, indianapolis center handed off to lexington and the pilot opted for a landing at mt. Sterling, key (iob). The pilot landed the aircraft without incident. There were no injuries to the 3 occupants or structural damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was towed to the hangar where the cowl was removed. A visual inspection revealed that a portion of the engine from the fuel distribution valve forward was missing. The camshaft was exposed and bent. The upper cowl had small holes from metal fragments. Various fragments were distributed throughout the engine compartment.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT WAS DESCENDING FROM 19000 FEET TO 13000 FEET AT 31" MP AND 2500 RPM. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE BEGIN PRODUCING A "DEEP GUTTURAL SOUND", FOLLOWED BY A "POP". (PILOT DESCRIPTION) THE ENGINE SEIZED AND OIL COVERED THE WINDSHIELF. THE PILOT DECLARED AND EMERGENCY WITH INDIANAPOLIS CENTER, INDIANAPOLIS CENTER HANDED OFF TO LEXINGTON AND THE PILOT OPTED FOR A LANDING AT MT. STERLING, KEY (IOB). THE PILOT LANDED THE AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE 3 OCCUPANTS OR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGAR WHERE THE COWL WAS REMOVED. A VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED THAT A PORTION OF THE ENGINE FROM THE FUEL DISTRIBUTION VALVE FORWARD WAS MISSING. THE CAMSHAFT WAS EXPOSED AND BENT. THE UPPER COWL HAD SMALL HOLES FROM METAL FRAGMENTS. VARIOUS FRAGMENTS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT.