What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On April 18th 2016 around 1530 a Piper-28 registration number N151DC serial number 2842138 had mid-flight engine failure which resulted in off airport landing destroying the aircraft during landing. During a solo cross-country flight the pilot reported a rough running engine to ATC over st lucie county Florida returning to vero beach airport (kvrb) the pilot performed a rough running engine checklist the engine didn?t recover and about 10 seconds later the engine loss all power and stop running . The pilot found a small private grass strip at cow creek ranch and started the best possible approach to the field but due a tail wind the aircraft touch down mid field and was unable to stop in time not to hit farm sheds and a pick-up truck. The collisions resulted in ripping off the wings and damaging the fuselage. The pilot only received minor bumps and scratches and was releases from hospital that day.
During sequent engine tear performed on April 29, 2016 at flight safety maintenance hangar. Reviled excessive wear on #3/1 cam lobe and cam follower contributed to the failure of the # 3 piston oil ring grove and separating the piston in half in the cylinder.
As the FAA filed it
ON APRIL 18TH 2016 AROUND 1530 A PIPER-28 REGISTRATION NUMBER N151DC SERIAL NUMBER 2842138 HAD MID-FLIGHT ENGINE FAILURE WHICH RESULTED IN OFF AIRPORT LANDING DESTROYING THE AIRCRAFT DURING LANDING. DURING A SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT THE PILOT REPORTED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE TO ATC OVER ST LUCIE COUNTY FLORIDA RETURNING TO VERO BEACH AIRPORT (KVRB) THE PILOT PERFORMED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE CHECKLIST THE ENGINE DIDN?T RECOVER AND ABOUT 10 SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE LOSS ALL POWER AND STOP RUNNING . THE PILOT FOUND A SMALL PRIVATE GRASS STRIP AT COW CREEK RANCH AND STARTED THE BEST POSSIBLE APPROACH TO THE FIELD BUT DUE A TAIL WIND THE AIRCRAFT TOUCH DOWN MID FIELD AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME NOT TO HIT FARM SHEDS AND A PICK-UP TRUCK. THE COLLISIONS RESULTED IN RIPPING OFF THE WINGS AND DAMAGING THE FUSELAGE. THE PILOT ONLY RECEIVED MINOR BUMPS AND SCRATCHES AND WAS RELEASES FROM HOSPITAL THAT DAY.
DURING SEQUENT ENGINE TEAR PERFORMED ON APRIL 29, 2016 AT FLIGHT SAFETY MAINTENANCE HANGAR. REVILED EXCESSIVE WEAR ON #3/1 CAM LOBE AND CAM FOLLOWER CONTRIBUTED TO THE FAILURE OF THE # 3 PISTON OIL RING GROVE AND SEPARATING THE PISTON IN HALF IN THE CYLINDER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.