What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Received notification of an aircraft accident involving a Piper PA-28-180 cherokee with a registration of N7355W. Aircraft was at 3,000 feet, level flight enroute to poplar bluff, MO (kpof) when the pilot identified an oil pressure indication anomaly. Oil pressure went to zero pressure indication and pilot made decision to return to blytheville, ar (khka). Engine was running normally at this time and pilot believed it to be an indication malfunction. As the turn was being performed, oil pressure indication returned. Approximately 1.5 minutes later, oil pressure indication dropped to zero and the engine began running roughly. Oil began to spray from the front of the engine cowling and covered the windscreen. Aircraft was shaking violently and engine lost power. Pilot was forced to land in a cotton field against the furrows. Aircraft landing gear collapsed and engine cowl was damaged. Right main landing gear wheel assembly departed the aircraft. One propeller blade was bent from the impact as the engine was not running. The left wing sustained substantial structural damage. A visual inspection of the engine revealed a section of the crankcase missing and a broken piston connecting rod. Pilot and passenger walked away uninjured.
As the FAA filed it
RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVOLVING A PIPER PA-28-180 CHEROKEE WITH A REGISTRATION OF N7355W. AIRCRAFT WAS AT 3,000 FEET, LEVEL FLIGHT ENROUTE TO POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KPOF) WHEN THE PILOT IDENTIFIED AN OIL PRESSURE INDICATION ANOMALY. OIL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO PRESSURE INDICATION AND PILOT MADE DECISION TO RETURN TO BLYTHEVILLE, AR (KHKA). ENGINE WAS RUNNING NORMALLY AT THIS TIME AND PILOT BELIEVED IT TO BE AN INDICATION MALFUNCTION. AS THE TURN WAS BEING PERFORMED, OIL PRESSURE INDICATION RETURNED. APPROXIMATELY 1.5 MINUTES LATER, OIL PRESSURE INDICATION DROPPED TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING ROUGHLY. OIL BEGAN TO SPRAY FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE COWLING AND COVERED THE WINDSCREEN. AIRCRAFT WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND ENGINE LOST POWER. PILOT WAS FORCED TO LAND IN A COTTON FIELD AGAINST THE FURROWS. AIRCRAFT LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED AND ENGINE COWL WAS DAMAGED. RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR WHEEL ASSEMBLY DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT. ONE PROPELLER BLADE WAS BENT FROM THE IMPACT AS THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING. THE LEFT WING SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A SECTION OF THE CRANKCASE MISSING AND A BROKEN PISTON CONNECTING ROD. PILOT AND PASSENGER WALKED AWAY UNINJURED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7355W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.