# Incident 20171026021569I: Piper PA-28R-201T, Brighton, TN, October 26, 2017

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 26, 2017, 09:55 local time
- Place: Brighton, TN
- Airport: Millington Regional Jetport
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.4803° N, 89.7347° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Brighton, TN, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.4803&lon=-89.7347&mi=10
- Aircraft: N551DK, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N551DK) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28R-201T (registry code 7102813, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201t) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Continental TSIO-360 series (registry code 17019, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-tsio-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-201T
- Reported engine: CONT MOTOR TSI0360FB1A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171026021569I

## Narrative

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

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

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.