What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 13:11 local time on 04/22/2017(gmt+10) Piper PA-28-140 registration number N4437X, serial number 28-7625032, made an emergency landing on a golf course after the pilot declared an emergency.
The pilot reported that during cruise the engine made a loud "bang" followed by a loss of engine power. He further reported that movement of the throttle did not result in any change in engine performance. He stated that he switched fuel tanks at which point smoke was noted coming from the engine compartment which is when he committed to making the emergency landing. The aircraft touched down on a fairway and came to a stop with a portion of the nose in some light bushes at the end of the fairway.
Post landing inspection did not reveal any substantial damage to the airframe and the pilot and 2 passengers were not injured. Minor damage included a dented lower cowling, left hand flap trailing edge damage, and a slight bending of the nose landing gear and broken fiberglass on the nose wheel fairing cover. A visual inspection of the engine revealed a crack of approximately 4 inches on the engine's crankcase emanating from the #3 cylinder. The engine (Lycoming O-320-E3D serial # RL-24215-27E) was remanufactured by the oem and entered service on October 4, 2016 accumulating 630.9 hours since new at the time of the incident.
Operator completed the removal of the engine and are now working on crating and scheduling its shipment from tinian back to Lycoming. A brief summary of what was observed (aside from the pictures and the incident report) before removing the engine:
1. In preparation for shipment, the oil sump was drained and contained approximately 1 quart of oil. The oil sump plug contained metallic debris (both ferrous and non-ferrous). Small amounts of debris was also found in the oil pump suction screen. See attached pictures. We did not remove the oil filter.
2. All accessories (magnetos, vacuum pump, oil filter, fuel pump) were secure with no visual signs of damage or discrepancies.
3. The crankshaft travel was limited to about 90 degrees total when attempting to rotate the propeller by hand.
Engine sent to Lycoming for evaluation.
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 13:11 LOCAL TIME ON 04/22/2017(GMT+10) PIPER PA-28-140 REGISTRATION NUMBER N4437X, SERIAL NUMBER 28-7625032, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON A GOLF COURSE AFTER THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY.
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING CRUISE THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD "BANG" FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HE FURTHER REPORTED THAT MOVEMENT OF THE THROTTLE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY CHANGE IN ENGINE PERFORMANCE. HE STATED THAT HE SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AT WHICH POINT SMOKE WAS NOTED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHICH IS WHEN HE COMMITTED TO MAKING THE EMERGENCY LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT TOUCHED DOWN ON A FAIRWAY AND CAME TO A STOP WITH A PORTION OF THE NOSE IN SOME LIGHT BUSHES AT THE END OF THE FAIRWAY.
POST LANDING INSPECTION DID NOT REVEAL ANY SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME AND THE PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS WERE NOT INJURED. MINOR DAMAGE INCLUDED A DENTED LOWER COWLING, LEFT HAND FLAP TRAILING EDGE DAMAGE, AND A SLIGHT BENDING OF THE NOSE LANDING GEAR AND BROKEN FIBERGLASS ON THE NOSE WHEEL FAIRING COVER. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A CRACK OF APPROXIMATELY 4 INCHES ON THE ENGINE'S CRANKCASE EMANATING FROM THE #3 CYLINDER. THE ENGINE (LYCOMING O-320-E3D SERIAL # RL-24215-27E) WAS REMANUFACTURED BY THE OEM AND ENTERED SERVICE ON OCTOBER 4, 2016 ACCUMULATING 630.9 HOURS SINCE NEW AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT.
OPERATOR COMPLETED THE REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE AND ARE NOW WORKING ON CRATING AND SCHEDULING ITS SHIPMENT FROM TINIAN BACK TO LYCOMING. A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHAT WAS OBSERVED (ASIDE FROM THE PICTURES AND THE INCIDENT REPORT) BEFORE REMOVING THE ENGINE:
1. IN PREPARATION FOR SHIPMENT, THE OIL SUMP WAS DRAINED AND CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 1 QUART OF OIL. THE OIL SUMP PLUG CONTAINED METALLIC DEBRIS (BOTH FERROUS AND NON-FERROUS). SMALL AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS WAS ALSO FOUND IN THE OIL PUMP SUCTION SCREEN. SEE ATTACHED PICTURES. WE DID NOT REMOVE THE OIL FILTER.
2. ALL ACCESSORIES (MAGNETOS, VACUUM PUMP, OIL FILTER, FUEL PUMP) WERE SECURE WITH NO VISUAL SIGNS OF DAMAGE OR DISCREPANCIES.
3. THE CRANKSHAFT TRAVEL WAS LIMITED TO ABOUT 90 DEGREES TOTAL WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ROTATE THE PROPELLER BY HAND.
ENGINE SENT TO LYCOMING FOR EVALUATION.
Other reports on N4437X · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.