# Incident 20120312003209I: Piper PA-32-260, Bushland, TX, March 12, 2012

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 12, 2012, 15:45 local time
- Place: Bushland, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2029° N, 102.0590° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Bushland, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2029&lon=-102.0590&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3938W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3938W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-260
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120312003209I

## Narrative

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

PILOT/MECHANIC PERFORMED MAINTENANCE ON ENGINE'S #5 CYLINDER VALVE SEAT.  DURING COURSE OF MAINTENANCE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED OIL PLUG.  DID NOT TORQUE PLUG TO PROPER REQUIREMENT OR APPLY SAFETY WIRE TO PLUG.  AIRCRAFT DEPARTED AIRPORT AND WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF FLIGHT PROPELLER OVERSPED WITH SUBSEQUENT ENGINE FAILURE.  LANDED AIRCRAFT IN BARREN FIELD.  NO DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN ENGINE FAILURE.

## Other reports on N3938W (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20170127001569I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170127001569I), Jan 27, 2017: Piper PA-32-260 (N3938W), Kim, CO, Minor damage. On January 27, 2017 at approximately 08:00 mountain standard time (MST), N3938W, a Piper PA-32-260 was in cruise flight at 8500' MSL then had an engine…

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.
