20171026021569I

Incident · No damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28R-201T · Brighton, TN · October 26, 2017

Date
October 26, 2017 · 09:55 local
Place
Brighton, TN
Airport
Millington Regional Jetport
Phase of flight
Descent
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
No damage
Aircraft
N551DK
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201T
Reported engine
Continental TSI0360FB1A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Turbo Piper iii N551DK (P28R) departed October 26, 2017, from symrna, TN. (Mqy) on an IFR flight plan heading southwest to Millington, TN. (Nqa). At 1450Z with the aircraft descending from 6000 to 3000 feet, the pilot heard a thump from the engine compartment. Oil and smoke began to filter out the top and sides of engine compartment. Oil pressure dropped followed by all engine power. Pilot contacted ATC at 1501Z declaring an emergency, reporting that N551DK had engine problems and was going down. At 1513Z radar contact and communications were lost approximately 10 east north east of the nqa airport. N551DK landed safely on highway TN-14 in tipton county, Brighton, TN., with no injuries to the pilot or passenger (2 persons on board). No structural damage occured to the aircraft. NTSB released accident responsibilities to memphis FSDO iic. Traces of oil were found on several areas in the landing zone. Oil streaks were visible on aircraft belly from nose to tail indicating substantial loss of engine oil. Engine inspection identified a broken connecting rod was ejected from the top engine cylinder wall assembly puncturing an estimated 3" hole. The engine hole caused a massive loss of engine oil, oil pressure, and power reported by the pilot. At 1900Z FAA iic released N551DK to tipton county sheriff's department and local authorities to tow airplane off highway TN-14. N551DK was relocated for futher investigation.

Weather data: knqa 261450Z 15004KT 10SM skc 16/06 A2991

As the FAA filed it

TURBO PIPER III N551DK (P28R) DEPARTED OCTOBER 26, 2017, FROM SYMRNA, TN. (MQY) ON AN IFR FLIGHT PLAN HEADING SOUTHWEST TO MILLINGTON, TN. (NQA). AT 1450Z WITH THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDING FROM 6000 TO 3000 FEET, THE PILOT HEARD A THUMP FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OIL AND SMOKE BEGAN TO FILTER OUT THE TOP AND SIDES OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT. OIL PRESSURE DROPPED FOLLOWED BY ALL ENGINE POWER. PILOT CONTACTED ATC AT 1501Z DECLARING AN EMERGENCY, REPORTING THAT N551DK HAD ENGINE PROBLEMS AND WAS GOING DOWN. AT 1513Z RADAR CONTACT AND COMMUNICATIONS WERE LOST APPROXIMATELY 10 EAST NORTH EAST OF THE NQA AIRPORT. N551DK LANDED SAFELY ON HIGHWAY TN-14 IN TIPTON COUNTY, BRIGHTON, TN., WITH NO INJURIES TO THE PILOT OR PASSENGER (2 PERSONS ON BOARD). NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURED TO THE AIRCRAFT. NTSB RELEASED ACCIDENT RESPONSIBILITIES TO MEMPHIS FSDO IIC. TRACES OF OIL WERE FOUND ON SEVERAL AREAS IN THE LANDING ZONE. OIL STREAKS WERE VISIBLE ON AIRCRAFT BELLY FROM NOSE TO TAIL INDICATING SUBSTANTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE OIL. ENGINE INSPECTION IDENTIFIED A BROKEN CONNECTING ROD WAS EJECTED FROM THE TOP ENGINE CYLINDER WALL ASSEMBLY PUNCTURING AN ESTIMATED 3" HOLE. THE ENGINE HOLE CAUSED A MASSIVE LOSS OF ENGINE OIL, OIL PRESSURE, AND POWER REPORTED BY THE PILOT. AT 1900Z FAA IIC RELEASED N551DK TO TIPTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO TOW AIRPLANE OFF HIGHWAY TN-14. N551DK WAS RELOCATED FOR FUTHER INVESTIGATION.

WEATHER DATA: KNQA 261450Z 15004KT 10SM SKC 16/06 A2991