20021230035909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-161 · York Harbor, MN · December 30, 2002

Date: December 30, 2002 · 14:46 local
Place: York Harbor, MN
Phase of flight: Normal Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N8321H
Reported as: Piper PA28161
Reported engine: Lycoming O320D3G
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 608 total106 in this make and model5 in the last 90 days

N8321HRegistered now · Piper PA-28-161S/N 28-8116125 · Built 1980 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-161 Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

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) While at 2500 feet and flying straight and level the pilot experienced a very severe vibration and almost complete loss of power along with white smoke and a film of oil across the windshield. The pilot throttled back and made an emergency landing in a field without any further incident. Only minor visible damge noted at this time. Emergency landing to engine failure. Engine was over the recommended overhaul intervals of 2000/hours. Engine time was over 2200/hours.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) WHILE AT 2500 FEET AND FLYING STRAIGHT AND LEVEL THE PILOT EXPERIENCED A VERY SEVERE VIBRATION AND ALMOST COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER ALONG WITH WHITE SMOKE AND A FILM OF OIL ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT THROTTLED BACK AND MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A FIELD WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. ONLY MINOR VISIBLE DAMGE NOTED AT THIS TIME. EMERGENCY LANDING TO ENGINE FAILURE. ENGINE WAS OVER THE RECOMMENDED OVERHAUL INTERVALS OF 2000/HOURS. ENGINE TIME WAS OVER 2200/HOURS.