# Accident 20070801824269A: Piper PA60601P, Fort Lauderdal, FL, August 1, 2007 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 1, 2007, 20:00 local time - Place: Fort Lauderdal, FL - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Forced Landing - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 26.1972° N, 80.1706° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.1972&lon=-80.1706&mi=10 - Aircraft: N60801, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N60801-2013-04-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper AEROSTAR 601P (registry code 7106012, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-aerostar-601p) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA60601P - Reported engine: LYC IO540S1A5 - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 2,500 total, 200 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB NYC07LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC07LA183) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070801824269A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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 WHILE ESTABLISHED ON FINAL APPROACH TO RUNWAY 26 THE AIRCRAFT GEAR WAS RETRACTED AND THE POWER, MIXTURE AND PROPELLER WERE ADVANCED BUT THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED LOSING AIRSPEED AND ALTITUDE.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. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB NYC07LA183](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC07LA183), Aug 2, 2007: Piper Aerostar 601P (N60801), Fort Lauderdale, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of power in one engine during approach, due to a fatigue fracture of the crankshaft. ## Other reports on N60801 (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19830314009209A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19830314009209A), Mar 14, 1983: Piper PA60601P (N60801), Wheeling, IL, Substantial damage. Forgot to check gear down for landing. Landed gear up. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.