What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot and his family(wife and 3 children) had flown from kryy to kavl for a day trip. Trip from kryy to kavl was uneventful. Pilot conducted a preflight inspection, ground run-ups prior to take off from avl. During climb out from avl pilot declared an emergency when he noted that the engine did not appear to be making appropriate power. He was cleared to return to the airport but because of low altitude and low airspeed he was forced to make an off airport landing. During the forced landing into an empty parking lot, the plane's right fuel tank was ruptured and the aircraft caught on fire. When the aircraft came to rest, all of the passengers were able to exit through the cabin door (left side) and the pilot exited through the right side door. The pilot and passengers ran to safety as the aircraft was engulfed in flames. One passenger reported minor injuries.
The NTSB released the aircraft for recovery from the site. Aircraft was taken to atlanta air recovery for storage.
NTSB, Piper and FAA conducted an examination of the wreckage at the recovery facility. With the exception of the firewall forward, the airframe had been completely consumed by fire. The propeller was bent aft and showed signs of slow rotation on impact. An examination of the fuel selector valve indicated that the valve was in the left position and in the detent. Investigators were able to only obtain minimal rotation of the engine using the propeller. Oil level on the engine dipstick indicated approximately 9 quarts, the oil filter and sump screen were removed and examined and minimal metal was found in the filter and no material in the screen. The upper spark plugs were removed and when the engine was rotated it was observed that the number 4 piston was not moving. After removing the #3 cylinder it was determined that the connecting rod for #4 had broken and the rod cap had also broken from the crank. Pieces of the #4 rod were found in the case. The engine crank showed signs of heat damage at all of the bearing journals. The accessory case was removed from the engine were it was discovered that the engine oil pump drive gear had two teeth broken off. The engine sump was removed and the two teeth were located in the oil sump. The oil pump gears were inspected and no mechanical damage was found. The NTSB retained the gear and teeth for further evaluation.
Ref ptrs #202001027
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT AND HIS FAMILY(WIFE AND 3 CHILDREN) HAD FLOWN FROM KRYY TO KAVL FOR A DAY TRIP. TRIP FROM KRYY TO KAVL WAS UNEVENTFUL. PILOT CONDUCTED A PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, GROUND RUN-UPS PRIOR TO TAKE OFF FROM AVL. DURING CLIMB OUT FROM AVL PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WHEN HE NOTED THAT THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE MAKING APPROPRIATE POWER. HE WAS CLEARED TO RETURN TO THE AIRPORT BUT BECAUSE OF LOW ALTITUDE AND LOW AIRSPEED HE WAS FORCED TO MAKE AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING. DURING THE FORCED LANDING INTO AN EMPTY PARKING LOT, THE PLANE'S RIGHT FUEL TANK WAS RUPTURED AND THE AIRCRAFT CAUGHT ON FIRE. WHEN THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST, ALL OF THE PASSENGERS WERE ABLE TO EXIT THROUGH THE CABIN DOOR (LEFT SIDE) AND THE PILOT EXITED THROUGH THE RIGHT SIDE DOOR. THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS RAN TO SAFETY AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. ONE PASSENGER REPORTED MINOR INJURIES.
THE NTSB RELEASED THE AIRCRAFT FOR RECOVERY FROM THE SITE. AIRCRAFT WAS TAKEN TO ATLANTA AIR RECOVERY FOR STORAGE.
NTSB, PIPER AND FAA CONDUCTED AN EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE AT THE RECOVERY FACILITY. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIREWALL FORWARD, THE AIRFRAME HAD BEEN COMPLETELY CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE PROPELLER WAS BENT AFT AND SHOWED SIGNS OF SLOW ROTATION ON IMPACT. AN EXAMINATION OF THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE INDICATED THAT THE VALVE WAS IN THE LEFT POSITION AND IN THE DETENT. INVESTIGATORS WERE ABLE TO ONLY OBTAIN MINIMAL ROTATION OF THE ENGINE USING THE PROPELLER. OIL LEVEL ON THE ENGINE DIPSTICK INDICATED APPROXIMATELY 9 QUARTS, THE OIL FILTER AND SUMP SCREEN WERE REMOVED AND EXAMINED AND MINIMAL METAL WAS FOUND IN THE FILTER AND NO MATERIAL IN THE SCREEN. THE UPPER SPARK PLUGS WERE REMOVED AND WHEN THE ENGINE WAS ROTATED IT WAS OBSERVED THAT THE NUMBER 4 PISTON WAS NOT MOVING. AFTER REMOVING THE #3 CYLINDER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CONNECTING ROD FOR #4 HAD BROKEN AND THE ROD CAP HAD ALSO BROKEN FROM THE CRANK. PIECES OF THE #4 ROD WERE FOUND IN THE CASE. THE ENGINE CRANK SHOWED SIGNS OF HEAT DAMAGE AT ALL OF THE BEARING JOURNALS. THE ACCESSORY CASE WAS REMOVED FROM THE ENGINE WERE IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE OIL PUMP DRIVE GEAR HAD TWO TEETH BROKEN OFF. THE ENGINE SUMP WAS REMOVED AND THE TWO TEETH WERE LOCATED IN THE OIL SUMP. THE OIL PUMP GEARS WERE INSPECTED AND NO MECHANICAL DAMAGE WAS FOUND. THE NTSB RETAINED THE GEAR AND TEETH FOR FURTHER EVALUATION.
REF PTRS #202001027
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.