# Accident 20180428004249A: Piper PA-28R-200, Gainsville, GA, April 28, 2018 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 28, 2018, 17:11 local time - Place: Gainsville, GA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operator: UAOS - Location: 34.2500° N, 83.9728° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.2500&lon=-83.9728&mi=10 - Aircraft: N4363F, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4363F-2019-07-25) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Piper PA-28R-200 (registry code 7102811, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-200) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28R-200 - Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER - People aboard: 3 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Other injuries: 2 - Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot - Pilot flight hours: 650 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA18FA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA137) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20180428004249A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON APRIL 28, 2018, ABOUT 1711 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-28R-200, N4363F, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING TO HIGHWAY 369 NEAR GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND THE PASSENGER WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE FLIGHT SCHOOL OF GWINNETT. THIS FLIGHT WAS OPERATED AS A 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 61 INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT THAT DEPARTED THE GWINNETT COUNTY AIRPORT ? BRISCOE FIELD (LZU), ABOUT 1640. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A SET OF POWERLINES PRIOR TO TOUCHING DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. IT THEN STRUCK A CAR WITH ITS RIGHT WING, WHICH SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME, THE AIRCRAFT THEN VEERED TO THE RIGHT, WENT OFF THE ROAD, AND DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT COMING TO REST INVERTED ON A NORTHERLY HEADING. FROM THE TIME THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE POWERLINES TO WHERE IT CAME TO REST WAS ABOUT 450 FT. THERE WAS NO POST-IMPACT FIRE TO THE MAIN WRECKAGE; HOWEVER, THE RIGHT WING, WHICH CAME TO REST ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE, DID CATCH ON FIRE DURING THE IMPACT SEQUENCE. THE ENGINE REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME AND THE TWO-BLADED PROPELLER REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ENGINE. BOTH BLADES EXHIBITED CHORDWISE SCORING, CURLING AT THE TIPS AND TWISTING TOWARD THE BLADE FACES. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE CYLINDER #2 ROCKER BOX COVER AND A PUSHROD TUBE COULD BE SEEN PROTRUDING FROM THE LEFT FORWARD SIDE OF THE COWLING. THE COWLING WAS REMOVED AND THE #2 CYLINDER WAS OBSERVED DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER BASE PAD. THE #2 ROD CAP WAS FOUND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COWLING. THE LEFT CRANKCASE HALF WAS FRACTURED AND A PORTION ABOUT 6 INCHES BY 6 INCHES SEPARATED. THE SEPARATED FRAGMENTS WERE ALSO FOUND IN THE COWLING. THE #2 FUEL INJECTOR NOZZLE WAS FRACTURED AND THE UPPER PORTION REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE INJECTOR LINE. THE #2 INTAKE TUBE AND EXHAUST TUBE WERE REMOVED AND THE #2 CYLINDER WAS REMOVED. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE MOUNT AND SUSPENDED FROM A LIFT TO FACILITATE THE EXAMINATION. THE PROPELLER WAS REMOVED AND THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED BY TURNING THE CRANKSHAFT FLANGE. CONTINUITY OF THE CRANKSHAFT TO THE REAR GEARS AND TO THE VALVE TRAIN WAS CONFIRMED. THE PISTON ROD/CAP BOLTS (PART #75060) ON #1, #3 AND #4 CYLINDERS WERE MEASURED AND WERE WITHIN TOLERANCE (2.255"-2.256"). COMPRESSION AND SUCTION WERE OBSERVED FROM CYLINDERS #1, #3 AND #4. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB ERA18FA137](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18FA137), Apr 28, 2018: Piper PA28R (N4363F), Gainesville, GA, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: A partial loss of engine power due to inadequate thru-bolt and stud preload tension by undetermined maintenance personnel, which resulted in fretting between the engine crankcase halves, and the… ## Other reports on N4363F (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Accident 19790226003699A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19790226003699A), Feb 26, 1979: Piper PA28R200 (N4363F), Winona, MN, Substantial damage. Engine stopped enroute due to fuel exhaustion. Aircraft landed in farm field. Snow depth 18 inches. 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.