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20220914017069A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28R-201 · Conway, SC · September 14, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 14, 2022 · 12:22 local
Place
Conway, SC
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N62FC
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN22FA419
Reported as
Piper PA-28R-201
Reported engine
Lycoming I0360 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
N62FCRegistration cancelled Jun 21, 2023 · Piper PA-28R-201S/N 28R-7737039Airframe modelPiper PA-28R-201Engine modelLycoming I0360 seriesReciprocating

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.

According to maintenance personnel on the ground at myrtle beach international airport (myr),privacy data omitted was going to columbus county municipal airport (cpc) for fuel and then ultimately to odell williamson municipal airport (60J) the aircrafts home base.

Shortly after departing myr, privacy data omitted had difficulties navigating and maintaining headings issued by ATC. When asked by ATC about the errant headings, privacy data omitted stated they were having “compass” issues. A few minutes later N62FC requested to return to myr due to “compass” issues. ATC asked if they were declaring an emergency and privacy data omitted stated they were not declaring an emergency. Approximately 30 seconds later, privacy data omitted announced they were declaring an emergency due to an engine failure. privacy data omitted Stated they had a field below them and they were going to put it down there.

privacy data omitted Impacted several pine trees approximately 35-40 feet from the ground. The right wing separated from the fuselage and the rudder was sheared off during contact with the trees. After contacting the trees the aircraft contacted power lines before impacting an earthen berm beside a dirt/gravel road. A post-crash fire ensued destroying most of the aircraft. The pilot and rated passenger were fatally injured in the accident. First responders were able to recover partially burned aircraft maintenance logs/records.

privacy data omitted Had just come out of maintenance and was the first flight following the maintenance work. privacy data omitted Had an avionics upgrade that included the removal of the vacuum system, installation of a garmin GFC-500 autopilot and two garmin G5 instruments. According to maintenance personnel the only engine work that was performed was the removal of the vacuum pump. During the engine tear down conducted by the Lycoming field rep on September 17th, 2022 no gasket was found behind the blanking plate used to cover the mounting pad left by the removal of the vacuum pump. Accident is still under investigation by the NTSB.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL ON THE GROUND AT MYRTLE BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MYR),^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS GOING TO COLUMBUS COUNTY MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CPC) FOR FUEL AND THEN ULTIMATELY TO ODELL WILLIAMSON MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (60J) THE AIRCRAFTS HOME BASE.

SHORTLY AFTER DEPARTING MYR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD DIFFICULTIES NAVIGATING AND MAINTAINING HEADINGS ISSUED BY ATC. WHEN ASKED BY ATC ABOUT THE ERRANT HEADINGS, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY WERE HAVING “COMPASS” ISSUES. A FEW MINUTES LATER N62FC REQUESTED TO RETURN TO MYR DUE TO “COMPASS” ISSUES. ATC ASKED IF THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY WERE NOT DECLARING AN EMERGENCY. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS LATER, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ ANNOUNCED THEY WERE DECLARING AN EMERGENCY DUE TO AN ENGINE FAILURE. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY HAD A FIELD BELOW THEM AND THEY WERE GOING TO PUT IT DOWN THERE.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMPACTED SEVERAL PINE TREES APPROXIMATELY 35-40 FEET FROM THE GROUND. THE RIGHT WING SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND THE RUDDER WAS SHEARED OFF DURING CONTACT WITH THE TREES. AFTER CONTACTING THE TREES THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED POWER LINES BEFORE IMPACTING AN EARTHEN BERM BESIDE A DIRT/GRAVEL ROAD. A POST-CRASH FIRE ENSUED DESTROYING MOST OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT AND RATED PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ABLE TO RECOVER PARTIALLY BURNED AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE LOGS/RECORDS.

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD JUST COME OUT OF MAINTENANCE AND WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT FOLLOWING THE MAINTENANCE WORK. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD AN AVIONICS UPGRADE THAT INCLUDED THE REMOVAL OF THE VACUUM SYSTEM, INSTALLATION OF A GARMIN GFC-500 AUTOPILOT AND TWO GARMIN G5 INSTRUMENTS. ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL THE ONLY ENGINE WORK THAT WAS PERFORMED WAS THE REMOVAL OF THE VACUUM PUMP. DURING THE ENGINE TEAR DOWN CONDUCTED BY THE LYCOMING FIELD REP ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2022 NO GASKET WAS FOUND BEHIND THE BLANKING PLATE USED TO COVER THE MOUNTING PAD LEFT BY THE REMOVAL OF THE VACUUM PUMP. ACCIDENT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NTSB.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN22FA419Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldFinal reportConway, SCThe mechanic’s failure to install the required gasket on the vacuum pump drive pad in accordance with the maintenance manual, which resulted in oil exhaustion and the subsequent loss of engine power. Contributing to the accident was the Director of…Sep 14, 2022 · Destroyed

Other reports on N62FC · 3

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20080619845369IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · Deland, FL(-23) While conducting an end-of-course test for a delta connection academy part 141 flight instructor certification course, check instructor [privacy data omitted] directed end-of course applicant [privacy data omitted] to perform a short field landing on…Jun 19, 2008 · Minor damageIncident 20070111006839IFinal Approach · Dayton, OH(-23) The initial report from the FAA inspectors stated that when they were on short final, at wright brothers airport, mgy, the elevator control became jammed when increasing back pressure. The pilot flying, [privacy data omitted], was able to free the…Jan 11, 2007Incident 20000420032679ILevel Off Touchdown · Belmar/Farmingd, NJ(-23)Second pilot ^privac^ being checked out in PA-28R by PIC [privacy data omitted] (CFI). Airman ^priv^ failed to extend gear and CFI [privacy data omitted] failed to confirm safe gear indication prior to landing.Apr 20, 2000 · Minor damage