20010529017449I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-32-300 · Boalsburg, PA · May 29, 2001

Date: May 29, 2001 · 10:30 local
Place: Boalsburg, PA
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N232CA
Reported as: Piper PA32300
Reported engine: Lycoming IO540K1G5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,400 total300 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N232CARegistered now · Piper PA-32-300S/N 32-7740026 · Built 1976 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-300 Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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) The Piper PA-32-300, was on a VFR cross country flight from (hgr) hagerstown, MD to (N96) bellefonte, PA when the engine lost power suddenly and began to vibrate violently. The engine then quit and both certificated pilots on board completed emergency procedures and made a normal landing into a farm wheat field in Boalsburg, PA. Minor damage to the aircraft was received to the left lower landing gear assembly and left wing flap bracket. No injuries were received by the two pilots on board. Subsequent inspection of the engine by inspectors from this office revealed that the engine failed internally, cracking both case halves in the area of the #5 connecting rod. An engine disassembly inspection OAT Textron lycomig in williamsport, PA was planned to determine the probable cause of the engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) THE PIPER PA-32-300, WAS ON A VFR CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM (HGR) HAGERSTOWN, MD TO (N96) BELLEFONTE, PA WHEN THE ENGINE LOST POWER SUDDENLY AND BEGAN TO VIBRATE VIOLENTLY. THE ENGINE THEN QUIT AND BOTH CERTIFICATED PILOTS ON BOARD COMPLETED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES AND MADE A NORMAL LANDING INTO A FARM WHEAT FIELD IN BOALSBURG, PA. MINOR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECEIVED TO THE LEFT LOWER LANDING GEAR ASSEMBLY AND LEFT WING FLAP BRACKET. NO INJURIES WERE RECEIVED BY THE TWO PILOTS ON BOARD. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE BY INSPECTORS FROM THIS OFFICE REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED INTERNALLY, CRACKING BOTH CASE HALVES IN THE AREA OF THE #5 CONNECTING ROD. AN ENGINE DISASSEMBLY INSPECTION OAT TEXTRON LYCOMIG IN WILLIAMSPORT, PA WAS PLANNED TO DETERMINE THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE.