What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
While descending from cruise altitude of 5500 feet MSL (mean sea level) the PIC (pilot in command) noticed the engine rpms began dropping. The PIC notified Washington center of the situation. The PIC attempted to add more power and turned on the carburator heat with no response to the engine. The PIC switched fuel tanks, verified that the fuel pump was on and the mixture was rich. The PIC stated at this time the engine rpms were rappidly dropping. The PIC declared an emergency with Washington center. The PIC stated that he had two choices either to land on a busy highway or try to glide to runway 8 at Pitt-Greenville Airport (pgv). The PIC stated that he would try to make the runway at Pitt-Greenville. During this time the engine completely died. The PIC noted the oil pressure light began to flash after the engine quit. The PIC maintained best glide airspeed all the way down until the aircraft landed in the swamp about a mile short of runway 8. The PIC and passenger exited the aircraft and called 911.
The PIC stated that he had a skull fracture with stitches and his passenger had cuts and bruises and a sprained ankle.
The PIC stated to me that during the preflight of the aircraft the fuel tanks were full, the fuel sumps were clean (all 3) and that the engine ran fine until the descent into the Pitt-Greenville Airport. The oils was at 5.5 quarts, the magneto checks were fine and that all engine instruments were in the green during the run-up. The PIC stated that he left greensboro NC on the right fuel tank. He switched tanks to the left fuel tank at the half-way point of the flight over raleigh NC. The engine ran fine on each of the tanks. The engine started dropping RPM during the descent for the Greenville-Pitt airport. The PIC stated that after the engine quit, he attempted a restart 3-times unsuccessfully.
The data from flightaware shows the engine appeared to quit at an altitude of 2300 feet MSL at 8:41 am.
Aircraft is not accessable and they are working on getting the aircraft out of the swamp for further inspection. At this time it is unknown what caused the power loss. Will update if there is more information in the future.
The aircraft was transported to privacy data omitted in griffin ga. ASI privacy data omittedtraveled to 6A2, griffin ga, for a teardown inspection of the engine and airframe. The following observations were conducted during inspections and disassembly of the engine by privacy data omitted from Lycoming and privacy data omitted from Piper on August 8th at privacy data omitted:
Airframe:
1- ELT wasn’t damaged.
2- Flight control cables were connected to the bellcranks and appeared to function normally.
3- Airframe fuel strainer bowl had no blockage.
4- Fuel boost pump appeared functional.
5- The fuel selector valve was tested and functioned normally.
6- Airworthiness certificate sn doesn’t match the airframe data plate sn. Awc sn: 28-180 vs data plate sn: 28-182.
Engine, 0-360-A3A, sn: 1-6066-36:
1- #3 Cylinder connecting rod broke at the crankshaft.
2- #2 Cylinder piston wrist pin forward cap came apart and ate through the oil ring and was progressing to the compression ring.
3- Forward crankshaft bearing was excessively worn.
4- Camshaft aft two lobes are worn excessively. Corresponding lifters had pitted and were dished out, not flat.
5- #1 And 2 connecting rods were frozen to the crank. Rod bearings were extremely worn.
6- Crankshaft and rod bearings are identified as faa-pma superior parts.
7- Oil filter was full of metal particles.
8- Oil sump screen had a lot of metal in it.
9- #2 And 4 spark plugs appeared to be running rich. #1 and 3 spark plugs appeared normal.
The following was inspected and found to be serviceable and or no findings:
1- Both magnetos.
2- Oil pump.
3- Carburetor.
4- Vacuum pump.
As the FAA filed it
WHILE DESCENDING FROM CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 5500 FEET MSL (MEAN SEA LEVEL) THE PIC (PILOT IN COMMAND) NOTICED THE ENGINE RPMS BEGAN DROPPING. THE PIC NOTIFIED WASHINGTON CENTER OF THE SITUATION. THE PIC ATTEMPTED TO ADD MORE POWER AND TURNED ON THE CARBURATOR HEAT WITH NO RESPONSE TO THE ENGINE. THE PIC SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, VERIFIED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS ON AND THE MIXTURE WAS RICH. THE PIC STATED AT THIS TIME THE ENGINE RPMS WERE RAPPIDLY DROPPING. THE PIC DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WITH WASHINGTON CENTER. THE PIC STATED THAT HE HAD TWO CHOICES EITHER TO LAND ON A BUSY HIGHWAY OR TRY TO GLIDE TO RUNWAY 8 AT PITT-GREENVILLE AIRPORT (PGV). THE PIC STATED THAT HE WOULD TRY TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AT PITT-GREENVILLE. DURING THIS TIME THE ENGINE COMPLETELY DIED. THE PIC NOTED THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PIC MAINTAINED BEST GLIDE AIRSPEED ALL THE WAY DOWN UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT LANDED IN THE SWAMP ABOUT A MILE SHORT OF RUNWAY 8. THE PIC AND PASSENGER EXITED THE AIRCRAFT AND CALLED 911.
THE PIC STATED THAT HE HAD A SKULL FRACTURE WITH STITCHES AND HIS PASSENGER HAD CUTS AND BRUISES AND A SPRAINED ANKLE.
THE PIC STATED TO ME THAT DURING THE PREFLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT THE FUEL TANKS WERE FULL, THE FUEL SUMPS WERE CLEAN (ALL 3) AND THAT THE ENGINE RAN FINE UNTIL THE DESCENT INTO THE PITT-GREENVILLE AIRPORT. THE OILS WAS AT 5.5 QUARTS, THE MAGNETO CHECKS WERE FINE AND THAT ALL ENGINE INSTRUMENTS WERE IN THE GREEN DURING THE RUN-UP. THE PIC STATED THAT HE LEFT GREENSBORO NC ON THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. HE SWITCHED TANKS TO THE LEFT FUEL TANK AT THE HALF-WAY POINT OF THE FLIGHT OVER RALEIGH NC. THE ENGINE RAN FINE ON EACH OF THE TANKS. THE ENGINE STARTED DROPPING RPM DURING THE DESCENT FOR THE GREENVILLE-PITT AIRPORT. THE PIC STATED THAT AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT, HE ATTEMPTED A RESTART 3-TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY.
THE DATA FROM FLIGHTAWARE SHOWS THE ENGINE APPEARED TO QUIT AT AN ALTITUDE OF 2300 FEET MSL AT 8:41 AM.
AIRCRAFT IS NOT ACCESSABLE AND THEY ARE WORKING ON GETTING THE AIRCRAFT OUT OF THE SWAMP FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. AT THIS TIME IT IS UNKNOWN WHAT CAUSED THE POWER LOSS. WILL UPDATE IF THERE IS MORE INFORMATION IN THE FUTURE.
THE AIRCRAFT WAS TRANSPORTED TO ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IN GRIFFIN GA. ASI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^TRAVELED TO 6A2, GRIFFIN GA, FOR A TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE AND AIRFRAME. THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS WERE CONDUCTED DURING INSPECTIONS AND DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM LYCOMING AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FROM PIPER ON AUGUST 8TH AT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^:
AIRFRAME:
1- ELT WASN’T DAMAGED.
2- FLIGHT CONTROL CABLES WERE CONNECTED TO THE BELLCRANKS AND APPEARED TO FUNCTION NORMALLY.
3- AIRFRAME FUEL STRAINER BOWL HAD NO BLOCKAGE.
4- FUEL BOOST PUMP APPEARED FUNCTIONAL.
5- THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS TESTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY.
6- AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE SN DOESN’T MATCH THE AIRFRAME DATA PLATE SN. AWC SN: 28-180 VS DATA PLATE SN: 28-182.
ENGINE, 0-360-A3A, SN: 1-6066-36:
1- #3 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD BROKE AT THE CRANKSHAFT.
2- #2 CYLINDER PISTON WRIST PIN FORWARD CAP CAME APART AND ATE THROUGH THE OIL RING AND WAS PROGRESSING TO THE COMPRESSION RING.
3- FORWARD CRANKSHAFT BEARING WAS EXCESSIVELY WORN.
4- CAMSHAFT AFT TWO LOBES ARE WORN EXCESSIVELY. CORRESPONDING LIFTERS HAD PITTED AND WERE DISHED OUT, NOT FLAT.
5- #1 AND 2 CONNECTING RODS WERE FROZEN TO THE CRANK. ROD BEARINGS WERE EXTREMELY WORN.
6- CRANKSHAFT AND ROD BEARINGS ARE IDENTIFIED AS FAA-PMA SUPERIOR PARTS.
7- OIL FILTER WAS FULL OF METAL PARTICLES.
8- OIL SUMP SCREEN HAD A LOT OF METAL IN IT.
9- #2 AND 4 SPARK PLUGS APPEARED TO BE RUNNING RICH. #1 AND 3 SPARK PLUGS APPEARED NORMAL.
THE FOLLOWING WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE SERVICEABLE AND OR NO FINDINGS:
1- BOTH MAGNETOS.
2- OIL PUMP.
3- CARBURETOR.
4- VACUUM PUMP.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.