# Accident 20010422008619A: Piper PA22, Oxnard, CA, April 22, 2001 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 22, 2001, 15:42 local time - Place: Oxnard, CA - Airport: Oxnard Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 34.1896° N, 119.1710° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1896&lon=-119.1710&mi=10 - Aircraft: N75343, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N75343-2005-09-27) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-22 (registry code 7102202, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-22) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming 0-290 series (registry code 41506, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-290-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA22 - Reported engine: LYC O290D2 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 1,020 total, 300 in this make and model, 45 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX01LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA154) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010422008619A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (.19)ON APRIL 22, 2001, ABOUT 1542 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-22, N75343, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING AN OFF FIELD FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CLIMB OUT FROM OXNARD, CALIFORNIA. THE OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE PERSONAL, LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED OXNARD ABOUT 1515. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. IN THE PILOT'S WRITTEN STATEMENT, HE FILLED THE AIRPLANE WITH FUEL AND COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. HE PRACTICED TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS FOR OVER AN HOUR AND EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. AFTER A BREAK, HE COMPLETED ANOTHER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND PRACTICED MORE LANDINGS. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED THROUGH 200 FEET ON THE FOURTH TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE MADE A CLUNKING NOISE AND STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT STEERED THE AIRPLANE TO AN OPEN FIELD AND LANDED ON SOFT DIRT. THE AIRPLANE DUG INTO THE SOFT DIRT AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, LANDING GEAR, AND PROPELLER. (.4) ON APRIL 22, 2001, AT 1542 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-22- 135, N75343, MADE AN OFF FIELD FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CLIMB OUT FROM OXNARD, CALIFORNIA. THE OWNER WAS OPERATING THE AIRPLANE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF 14 CFR PART 91. THE PRIVATE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED; THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PERSONAL, LOCAL FLIGHT DEPARTED OXNARD ABOUT 1515. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT SUBMITTED A WRITTEN STATEMENT. HE FILLED THE AIRPLANE WITH FUEL AND COMPLETED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. HE PRACTICED TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS FOR OVER AN HOUR AND EXPERIENCED NO DIFFICULTIES WITH THE AIRPLANE. AFTER A BREAK, HE COMPLETED ANOTHER PREFLIGHT INSPECTION AND PRACTICED MORE LANDINGS. AS THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED THROUGH 200 FEET ON THE FOURTH TAKEOFF, THE ENGINE MADE A CLUNKING NOISE AND STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. HE STEERED THE AIRPLANE TO AN OPEN FIELD AND LANDED ON SOFT DIRT. THE AIRPLANE DUG INTO THE SOFT DIRT AND SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE WINGS, STABILIZER, LANDING GEAR, AND PROPELLER. THE ENGINE WAS AN O-290-D2, SERIAL NUMBER 6571-21. AN ENGINE LOGBOOK ENTRY ON APRIL 11, 1960, RECORDED A FIELD OVERHAUL AT A TACHOMETER TIME OF 951 HOURS. AN ENTRY ONAUGUST 1, 1970, RECORDED A "TOP OVERHAUL" AT A TACHOMETER TIME OF 1,603 HOURS, AND NOTED THAT THE EXHAUST VALVES WERE REPLACED. THE TACHOMETER READ 1,861.57 AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. TEXTRON LYCOMING WAS A PARTY TO THE INVESTIGATION. AN INVESTIGATOR FROM LYCOMING EXAMINED THE ENGINE UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF A SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATOR. ACCORDING TO ARCHIVED LYCOMING RECORDS, THE ENGINE HAD BEEN MANUFACTURED ON NOVEMBER 9, 1953, AND THEY HAD NO RECORD OF IT RETURNING TO THE FACTORY SINCE THAT TIME. THE INVESTIGATOR REMOVED THE TOP SPARK PLUGS AND EXAMINED THE CYLINDERS WITH A LIGHTED BORE SCOPE. ALL CYLINDERS WERE UNDAMAGED EXCEPT CYLINDER NO. 3, WHICH EXHIBITED EXTENSIVE MECHANICAL DAMAGE. THE INVESTIGATOR REMOVED THIS CYLINDER. THE EXHAUST VALVE FOR CYLINDER NO. 3 FRACTURED AND SEPARATED WHERE THE VALVE STEM TRANSITIONS TO THE VALVE HEAD. THE FRACTURE SURFACES ON THE VALVE PIECES WERE OBLITERATED BY THE MECHANICAL DAMAGE. THE PISTON FACE EXHIBITED MECHANICAL DAMAGE OVER MOST OF ITS SURFACE, WHICH CONTAINED TWO HOLES. THE INVESTIGATOR OBSERVED THAT THE CORRESPONDING PUSH ROD WAS SLIGHTLY BENT, BUT HE DID NOT OBSERVE EVIDENCE OF THE VALVE STICKING. THE VALVE STEM MEASURED APPROXIMATELY 13/32 INCHES, WHICH MET ORIGINAL FACTORY SPECIFICATIONS. ## 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 LAX01LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX01LA154), Apr 22, 2001: Piper PA-22-135 (N75343), Oxnard, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The fracture and separation of the number 3 cylinder exhaust valve head resulting in a loss of engine power and a forced landing. A factor in the accident was the soft field where the forced landing… 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.