# Incident 20030910029809I: Piper PA34200, Ann Arbor, MI, September 10, 2003

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 10, 2003, 17:15 local time
- Place: Ann Arbor, MI
- Airport: Ann Arbor Municipal Airport
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Final Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 42.2229° N, 83.7457° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ANN ARBOR MUNI (ARB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=42.2229&lon=-83.7457&mi=10
- Aircraft: N439CT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N439CT-2008-06-16) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200
- Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 720 total, 55 in this make and model, 20 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030910029809I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-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.

- [Incident 19981220045279I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19981220045279I), Dec 20, 1998: Piper PA34200 (N439CT), Dallas, TX. (-5)After landing pilot taxied aircraft off runway, misjudged distance to edge of taxiway and aircraft was taxied off the edge of the taxiway. Runway was…

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.

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