What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 9/10/2003, N439CT, a Piper seneca, PA34-200, was approaching Ann Arbor, MI (arb) to pick up a passenger for an angel flight. Approximately 9 miles NE of arb, with engine power set, the pilot heard a loud bang, and the left engine failed. He noticed there were pieces of the left engine cowling missing, and the aircraft began to yaw. The pilot declared an emergency, and arb immediately cleared them for landing on any runway. Once on short final, and assured of making the runway, the pilot secured the right engine. Once on the ground, they immediately departed the aircraft, and noticed that fuel was spraying out of a hole in the leading edge of the left wing, at which time they requested a fire truck. Fire department and FBO personnel cleaned up the fuel. Upon inspection of the engine compartment, it was noticed that the left forward cylinder mounting bolts had failed. The cylinder remained attached to the engine with baffling and drain lines, but the piston and rod had departed the aircraft, and struck the wing, causing the damage to the wing leading edge. When the cylinder bolts failed, the cylinder struck the outboard upper cowling, causing the cowling to depart the aircraft. It struck the left horizontal stabilizer, flattening the leading edge rearward 2 inches, from approximately 4 inches outboard of the empennage, to approximately 24 inches outboard.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 9/10/2003, N439CT, A PIPER SENECA, PA34-200, WAS APPROACHING ANN ARBOR, MI (ARB) TO PICK UP A PASSENGER FOR AN ANGEL FLIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES NE OF ARB, WITH ENGINE POWER SET, THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND THE LEFT ENGINE FAILED. HE NOTICED THERE WERE PIECES OF THE LEFT ENGINE COWLING MISSING, AND THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY, AND ARB IMMEDIATELY CLEARED THEM FOR LANDING ON ANY RUNWAY. ONCE ON SHORT FINAL, AND ASSURED OF MAKING THE RUNWAY, THE PILOT SECURED THE RIGHT ENGINE. ONCE ON THE GROUND, THEY IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND NOTICED THAT FUEL WAS SPRAYING OUT OF A HOLE IN THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING, AT WHICH TIME THEY REQUESTED A FIRE TRUCK. FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FBO PERSONNEL CLEANED UP THE FUEL. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LEFT FORWARD CYLINDER MOUNTING BOLTS HAD FAILED. THE CYLINDER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE WITH BAFFLING AND DRAIN LINES, BUT THE PISTON AND ROD HAD DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT, AND STRUCK THE WING, CAUSING THE DAMAGE TO THE WING LEADING EDGE. WHEN THE CYLINDER BOLTS FAILED, THE CYLINDER STRUCK THE OUTBOARD UPPER COWLING, CAUSING THE COWLING TO DEPART THE AIRCRAFT. IT STRUCK THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER, FLATTENING THE LEADING EDGE REARWARD 2 INCHES, FROM APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE EMPENNAGE, TO APPROXIMATELY 24 INCHES OUTBOARD.
Other reports on N439CT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.