What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 01, 2007 at approximately 2000 EST, the pilot privacy data omitted of N60801, a Piper PA-60-601P, serial number 61P-07448063366, was on the base leg of the left hand traffic pattern for runway 26 at the fort lauderdale executive airport (kfxe). The pilot stated that while turning base to final he noticed the right engine began a violent vibration and lose power. The pilot also stated that the aircraft lost 200 to 300 feet of altitude during the turn onto final approach. While established on final approach to runway 26 the aircraft gear was retracted and the power, mixture and propeller were advanced but the aircraft continued losing airspeed and altitude. The pilot privacy data omitted determined that the aircraft was not going to make the field so he decided to land the aircraft onto cypress creek road. After re-extending the gear the aircraft clipped a row of traffic lights on the corner of cypress creek road and power line road. The aircraft contacted the west bound lanes of cypress creek road at head of approximately 290 degrees, the right wing of the airplane hit an electric light pole, shearing off approximately 24" of the right wing and rupturing the right wing fuel tank. The aircraft then impacted several street signs and a palm tree causing the aircraft to travel in a heading of approximately 315-320 degrees. The left wing and empennage impacted another tree which sheared off approximately 24" of the outboard portion of the left wing and rupturing the left wing fuel tank. The empennage was sheared off the fuselage aft of the aft pressure bulk head and at the fuselage fuel tank also rupturing the fuel tank. The empennage and fuselage/wing section sustained severe post crash fire damage. The pilot and two passengers egressed with no injuries. After a review of the aircraft maintenance records it was discovered that this aircraft had a gear up landing in may 1996 at 2178.9 hours total aircraft & engine time. Both engines were disassembled, inspected as per AD 91-14-22 and approved for return to service on July 15, 1996. The last major engine overhaul was completed on October 15, 1994. This was 145.9 hours prior to the gear up landing. The right engine, model number IO-540-S1A5, serial number L-19927-48A was disassembled at certified engines unlimited (KG4R309M) and was witnessed by several FAA inspectors on September 09, 2007. The teardown revealed the engine had suffered a catastrophic failure to the crankshaft, the crankshaft had sheared between the #2 and #3 main bearing, and the engine camshaft had also sheared at the #5 cylinder. These items were sent to the NTSB lab in Washington d.c. for a detailed evaluation.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 01, 2007 AT APPROXIMATELY 2000 EST, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF N60801, A PIPER PA-60-601P, SERIAL NUMBER 61P-07448063366, WAS ON THE BASE LEG OF THE LEFT HAND TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 26 AT THE FORT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE AIRPORT (KFXE). THE PILOT STATED THAT WHILE TURNING BASE TO FINAL HE NOTICED THE RIGHT ENGINE BEGAN A VIOLENT VIBRATION AND LOSE POWER. THE PILOT ALSO STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT LOST 200 TO 300 FEET OF ALTITUDE DURING THE TURN ONTO FINAL APPROACH. WHILE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 26 THE AIRCRAFT GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE POWER, MIXTURE AND PROPELLER WERE ADVANCED BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED LOSING AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DETERMINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE FIELD SO HE DECIDED TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT ONTO CYPRESS CREEK ROAD. AFTER RE-EXTENDING THE GEAR THE AIRCRAFT CLIPPED A ROW OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS ON THE CORNER OF CYPRESS CREEK ROAD AND POWER LINE ROAD. THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE WEST BOUND LANES OF CYPRESS CREEK ROAD AT HEAD OF APPROXIMATELY 290 DEGREES, THE RIGHT WING OF THE AIRPLANE HIT AN ELECTRIC LIGHT POLE, SHEARING OFF APPROXIMATELY 24" OF THE RIGHT WING AND RUPTURING THE RIGHT WING FUEL TANK. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED SEVERAL STREET SIGNS AND A PALM TREE CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO TRAVEL IN A HEADING OF APPROXIMATELY 315-320 DEGREES. THE LEFT WING AND EMPENNAGE IMPACTED ANOTHER TREE WHICH SHEARED OFF APPROXIMATELY 24" OF THE OUTBOARD PORTION OF THE LEFT WING AND RUPTURING THE LEFT WING FUEL TANK. THE EMPENNAGE WAS SHEARED OFF THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE AFT PRESSURE BULK HEAD AND AT THE FUSELAGE FUEL TANK ALSO RUPTURING THE FUEL TANK. THE EMPENNAGE AND FUSELAGE/WING SECTION SUSTAINED SEVERE POST CRASH FIRE DAMAGE. THE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS EGRESSED WITH NO INJURIES. AFTER A REVIEW OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS AIRCRAFT HAD A GEAR UP LANDING IN MAY 1996 AT 2178.9 HOURS TOTAL AIRCRAFT & ENGINE TIME. BOTH ENGINES WERE DISASSEMBLED, INSPECTED AS PER AD 91-14-22 AND APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE ON JULY 15, 1996. THE LAST MAJOR ENGINE OVERHAUL WAS COMPLETED ON OCTOBER 15, 1994. THIS WAS 145.9 HOURS PRIOR TO THE GEAR UP LANDING. THE RIGHT ENGINE, MODEL NUMBER IO-540-S1A5, SERIAL NUMBER L-19927-48A WAS DISASSEMBLED AT CERTIFIED ENGINES UNLIMITED (KG4R309M) AND WAS WITNESSED BY SEVERAL FAA INSPECTORS ON SEPTEMBER 09, 2007. THE TEARDOWN REVEALED THE ENGINE HAD SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE TO THE CRANKSHAFT, THE CRANKSHAFT HAD SHEARED BETWEEN THE #2 AND #3 MAIN BEARING, AND THE ENGINE CAMSHAFT HAD ALSO SHEARED AT THE #5 CYLINDER. THESE ITEMS WERE SENT TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON D.C. FOR A DETAILED EVALUATION.
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 N60801 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.