What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 31, 2016, at or about 15:02 EDT, N3941X, a Piper PA-32-300, while approaching the Bartow municipal airport (bow), Bartow, Florida, lost power and landed in a pasture one mile north of the airport.
The pilot explained that when he reduced power while entering the left downwind for runway 5 the engine shook and stopped producing power. The pilot indicated that he identified an open pasture and maneuvered for landing in the pasture while completing the engine failure emergency procedures. The engine did not restart.
The airplane touched down on a west heading in the first third of the rectangular pasture which had a north south post and barb wire fence dividing the rectangular pasture into two square sections. The airplane on landing rollout went through the fence and struck a post on the left inboard wing and a post on the right outboard wing.
The left brake fluid line was severed by the impact of the post on the left inboard leading edge resulting in the airplane turning to the right after passing through the fence. The right turning moment created a side load on the nose gear which caused the nose wheel to collapse. The airplane came to a rest with the wings level nose down attitude on a northeasterly direction.
Fuel and oil was checked on scene and found to be more than sufficient for completion of the flight. Fuel and oil quality appeared to be normal. A field test of the fuel system indicated that fuel was flowing to the injectors. Visual inspection of the engine did not reveal any obvious reason for its failure.
On November 3, 2016, inspection of the aircraft engine revealed ferrous metal in the engine oil filter which is indicative of a failing or failed internal engine component. Aircraft firewall damage and deformation of the fuselage aft of the firewall was also discovered resulting in the aircraft damage being classified as substantial.
Engine time since major overhaul (tsmo) was 2,063 hours. The recommended time before overhaul (tbo) for this engine is 2,000 hours.
There is no indication that the pilot?s actions or inaction caused the engine to stop developing power.
The weather was VFR and is not considered to be a factor.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 31, 2016, AT OR ABOUT 15:02 EDT, N3941X, A PIPER PA-32-300, WHILE APPROACHING THE BARTOW MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (BOW), BARTOW, FLORIDA, LOST POWER AND LANDED IN A PASTURE ONE MILE NORTH OF THE AIRPORT.
THE PILOT EXPLAINED THAT WHEN HE REDUCED POWER WHILE ENTERING THE LEFT DOWNWIND FOR RUNWAY 5 THE ENGINE SHOOK AND STOPPED PRODUCING POWER. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT HE IDENTIFIED AN OPEN PASTURE AND MANEUVERED FOR LANDING IN THE PASTURE WHILE COMPLETING THE ENGINE FAILURE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES. THE ENGINE DID NOT RESTART.
THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON A WEST HEADING IN THE FIRST THIRD OF THE RECTANGULAR PASTURE WHICH HAD A NORTH SOUTH POST AND BARB WIRE FENCE DIVIDING THE RECTANGULAR PASTURE INTO TWO SQUARE SECTIONS. THE AIRPLANE ON LANDING ROLLOUT WENT THROUGH THE FENCE AND STRUCK A POST ON THE LEFT INBOARD WING AND A POST ON THE RIGHT OUTBOARD WING.
THE LEFT BRAKE FLUID LINE WAS SEVERED BY THE IMPACT OF THE POST ON THE LEFT INBOARD LEADING EDGE RESULTING IN THE AIRPLANE TURNING TO THE RIGHT AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE FENCE. THE RIGHT TURNING MOMENT CREATED A SIDE LOAD ON THE NOSE GEAR WHICH CAUSED THE NOSE WHEEL TO COLLAPSE. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A REST WITH THE WINGS LEVEL NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE ON A NORTHEASTERLY DIRECTION.
FUEL AND OIL WAS CHECKED ON SCENE AND FOUND TO BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT FOR COMPLETION OF THE FLIGHT. FUEL AND OIL QUALITY APPEARED TO BE NORMAL. A FIELD TEST OF THE FUEL SYSTEM INDICATED THAT FUEL WAS FLOWING TO THE INJECTORS. VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANY OBVIOUS REASON FOR ITS FAILURE.
ON NOVEMBER 3, 2016, INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE REVEALED FERROUS METAL IN THE ENGINE OIL FILTER WHICH IS INDICATIVE OF A FAILING OR FAILED INTERNAL ENGINE COMPONENT. AIRCRAFT FIREWALL DAMAGE AND DEFORMATION OF THE FUSELAGE AFT OF THE FIREWALL WAS ALSO DISCOVERED RESULTING IN THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE BEING CLASSIFIED AS SUBSTANTIAL.
ENGINE TIME SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL (TSMO) WAS 2,063 HOURS. THE RECOMMENDED TIME BEFORE OVERHAUL (TBO) FOR THIS ENGINE IS 2,000 HOURS.
THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE PILOT?S ACTIONS OR INACTION CAUSED THE ENGINE TO STOP DEVELOPING POWER.
THE WEATHER WAS VFR AND IS NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A FACTOR.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.