20010516009129A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300T · Paulden, AZ · May 16, 2001

Date
May 16, 2001 · 18:30 local
Place
Paulden, AZ
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N22467
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX01LA179
Reported as
Piper PA32RT300T
Reported engine
Lycoming TIO540S1AD
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
966 total831 in this make and model71 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.

(.19)On may 16, 2001, about 1830 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, N22467, operated by the pilot was substantially damaged during an off-airport forced landing at Paulden, Arizona. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the business flight operating under 14 CFR part 91AND no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated at henderson, Nevada, about 1715, and was destined for sedona, Arizona. En route the pilot experienced engine vibrations that subsequently led to his shutting the engine down and performing an off-airport landing. An on-scene examination revealed engine oil covering the bottom of the airplane. A post accident examination of the engine revealed a catastrophic internal failure had occurred. Further examination revealed an oil filter gasket was pinched and extruded around the base of the oil filter assembly allowing engine oil to escape. (-23)the pilot stated a descent from 13,500 ft. upon power reduction he noticed a large drop in oil pressure and a burning type smell in the cockpit. Approx 2 min later he noted the oil pressure was still dropping and was no ow hearing knocking noises from the engine. A severe vibration from the engine was now occurring. He noticed the prop RPM was at redline or above and he no longer had control of the prop speed. He contacted prc twr and declared an emergency . The pilot shut down the engine, fuel, and mags and entered a steep spiral (60 degs, 1500FPM) due to smoke in the cockpit and oil spraying on the windshield. He landed on a grass pasture near the town of Paulden, AZ. The landing was uneventful. The aircraft came into contact with boulders that werw underneath the grass. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No injuries. (.4) on may 16, 2001, about 1830 hours mountain standard time, a Piper PA-32RT-300T, N22467, made an off-airport forced landing following engine vibrations and shutdown near Paulden, Arizona. The private pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The business flight was operated by the pilot under 14 CFR part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight had originated at henderson, Nevada, about 1715, and was destined for sedona, Arizona . En route at 13,500 feet mean sea level, the airplane experienced engine vibrations that subsequently led to the pilot shutting the engine down and performing an off-airport landing. During the forced landing roll, the airplane hit brush covered rocks sustaining substantial damage. An on-scene examination revealed engine oil covering the bottom of the airplane. A post accident examination of the engine revealed that a catastrophic mechanical internal failure had occurred. Further examination revealed an oil filter gasket was pinched and extruded around the oil filter base plate, allowing engine oil to escape. On August 30, 2000, Textron Lycoming issued mandatory service bulletin (sb) MSB-543A for the replacement of oil filter converter plate gaskets. Time of compliance with the sb, initially, was before further flight and each 50 hours thereafter. On September 5, 2000, the federal aviation administration (FAA) issued emergency airworthiness directive (AD) AD 2000-18-53 to mandate compliance with sb MSB-543A. The AD is sent to maintenance facilities and all registered airplane owners with this engine model. On October 4, 2000, revision 1) was issued to SB543A, it provided an alternate means of compliance (amoc). The revision provided clarification of affected engines, elimination of gasket p/n LW-13388, and eliminated the requirement to replace the gasket at each 50 hours of flight. The revision also provided for marking the converter plate by vibropeening the numbers 543 onto a designated location of the plate. The accident plate was not marked. On February 10, 2000, at a tachometer reading of 2,305.35 hours and 125.45 hours since major overhaul, a propeller ground strike examination of the engine was performed per Lycoming sb 53 and AD 91-14-22 procedures. According to the north las vegas, Nevada, engine company, the oil filter converter plate was not removed. The last documented annual inspection occurred on July 27, 2000, at 2,418.9 total hours, with 235.9 since engine major overhaul. The entry states that "a.d's checked through 2000-15." At the time of the accident the FAA aircraft registration database in Oklahoma city, Oklahoma, listed the registration as "sale reported" and no other information. The application for registration was clocked into the registration branch on April 9, 2001, and the application was dated March 5, 2001. The certificate of registration was issued July 24, 2001. According to registration information, an application from "a limited liability corporation (LLC)" applicant requires additional information about the organization and principals, and requires additional time to process. No emergency airworthiness directive was sent to any registered owner or applicant of this airplane.

As the FAA filed it

(.19)ON MAY 16, 2001, ABOUT 1830 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300T, N22467, OPERATED BY THE PILOT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING AT PAULDEN, ARIZONA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE BUSINESS FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT HENDERSON, NEVADA, ABOUT 1715, AND WAS DESTINED FOR SEDONA, ARIZONA. EN ROUTE THE PILOT EXPERIENCED ENGINE VIBRATIONS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO HIS SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN AND PERFORMING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED ENGINE OIL COVERING THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED AN OIL FILTER GASKET WAS PINCHED AND EXTRUDED AROUND THE BASE OF THE OIL FILTER ASSEMBLY ALLOWING ENGINE OIL TO ESCAPE. (-23)THE PILOT STATED A DESCENT FROM 13,500 FT. UPON POWER REDUCTION HE NOTICED A LARGE DROP IN OIL PRESSURE AND A BURNING TYPE SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. APPROX 2 MIN LATER HE NOTED THE OIL PRESSURE WAS STILL DROPPING AND WAS NO OW HEARING KNOCKING NOISES FROM THE ENGINE. A SEVERE VIBRATION FROM THE ENGINE WAS NOW OCCURRING. HE NOTICED THE PROP RPM WAS AT REDLINE OR ABOVE AND HE NO LONGER HAD CONTROL OF THE PROP SPEED. HE CONTACTED PRC TWR AND DECLARED AN EMERGENCY . THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE, FUEL, AND MAGS AND ENTERED A STEEP SPIRAL (60 DEGS, 1500FPM) DUE TO SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT AND OIL SPRAYING ON THE WINDSHIELD. HE LANDED ON A GRASS PASTURE NEAR THE TOWN OF PAULDEN, AZ. THE LANDING WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE AIRCRAFT CAME INTO CONTACT WITH BOULDERS THAT WERW UNDERNEATH THE GRASS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. NO INJURIES. (.4) ON MAY 16, 2001, ABOUT 1830 HOURS MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-32RT-300T, N22467, MADE AN OFF-AIRPORT FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING ENGINE VIBRATIONS AND SHUTDOWN NEAR PAULDEN, ARIZONA. THE PRIVATE PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE BUSINESS FLIGHT WAS OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT HENDERSON, NEVADA, ABOUT 1715, AND WAS DESTINED FOR SEDONA, ARIZONA . EN ROUTE AT 13,500 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE AIRPLANE EXPERIENCED ENGINE VIBRATIONS THAT SUBSEQUENTLY LED TO THE PILOT SHUTTING THE ENGINE DOWN AND PERFORMING AN OFF-AIRPORT LANDING. DURING THE FORCED LANDING ROLL, THE AIRPLANE HIT BRUSH COVERED ROCKS SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. AN ON-SCENE EXAMINATION REVEALED ENGINE OIL COVERING THE BOTTOM OF THE AIRPLANE. A POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT A CATASTROPHIC MECHANICAL INTERNAL FAILURE HAD OCCURRED. FURTHER EXAMINATION REVEALED AN OIL FILTER GASKET WAS PINCHED AND EXTRUDED AROUND THE OIL FILTER BASE PLATE, ALLOWING ENGINE OIL TO ESCAPE. ON AUGUST 30, 2000, TEXTRON LYCOMING ISSUED MANDATORY SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) MSB-543A FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF OIL FILTER CONVERTER PLATE GASKETS. TIME OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE SB, INITIALLY, WAS BEFORE FURTHER FLIGHT AND EACH 50 HOURS THEREAFTER. ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2000, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) ISSUED EMERGENCY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) AD 2000-18-53 TO MANDATE COMPLIANCE WITH SB MSB-543A. THE AD IS SENT TO MAINTENANCE FACILITIES AND ALL REGISTERED AIRPLANE OWNERS WITH THIS ENGINE MODEL. ON OCTOBER 4, 2000, REVISION 1) WAS ISSUED TO SB543A, IT PROVIDED AN ALTERNATE MEANS OF COMPLIANCE (AMOC). THE REVISION PROVIDED CLARIFICATION OF AFFECTED ENGINES, ELIMINATION OF GASKET P/N LW-13388, AND ELIMINATED THE REQUIREMENT TO REPLACE THE GASKET AT EACH 50 HOURS OF FLIGHT. THE REVISION ALSO PROVIDED FOR MARKING THE CONVERTER PLATE BY VIBROPEENING THE NUMBERS 543 ONTO A DESIGNATED LOCATION OF THE PLATE. THE ACCIDENT PLATE WAS NOT MARKED. ON FEBRUARY 10, 2000, AT A TACHOMETER READING OF 2,305.35 HOURS AND 125.45 HOURS SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL, A PROPELLER GROUND STRIKE EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE WAS PERFORMED PER LYCOMING SB 53 AND AD 91-14-22 PROCEDURES. ACCORDING TO THE NORTH LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, ENGINE COMPANY, THE OIL FILTER CONVERTER PLATE WAS NOT REMOVED. THE LAST DOCUMENTED ANNUAL INSPECTION OCCURRED ON JULY 27, 2000, AT 2,418.9 TOTAL HOURS, WITH 235.9 SINCE ENGINE MAJOR OVERHAUL. THE ENTRY STATES THAT "A.D'S CHECKED THROUGH 2000-15." AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT THE FAA AIRCRAFT REGISTRATION DATABASE IN OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, LISTED THE REGISTRATION AS "SALE REPORTED" AND NO OTHER INFORMATION. THE APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION WAS CLOCKED INTO THE REGISTRATION BRANCH ON APRIL 9, 2001, AND THE APPLICATION WAS DATED MARCH 5, 2001. THE CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION WAS ISSUED JULY 24, 2001. ACCORDING TO REGISTRATION INFORMATION, AN APPLICATION FROM "A LIMITED LIABILITY CORPORATION (LLC)" APPLICANT REQUIRES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND PRINCIPALS, AND REQUIRES ADDITIONAL TIME TO PROCESS. NO EMERGENCY AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WAS SENT TO ANY REGISTERED OWNER OR APPLICANT OF THIS AIRPLANE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

Other reports on N22467 · 2

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