20230618007159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA 46-350P · College Station, TX · June 18, 2023

Date: June 18, 2023 · 08:43 local
Place: College Station, TX
Airport: College Station, Tx
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N463HP
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN23LA246
Reported as: Piper PA 46-350P
Reported engine: Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,070 total189 in this make and model110 in the last 90 days

N463HPRegistered now · Piper PA 46-350PS/N 4636335 · Built 2002 Airframe modelPiper PA 46-350P Engine modelLycoming TI0-540 seriesTurbo-prop

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.

The aircraft engine began to overheat in climb out from College Station, Tx (cll). The pilot reduced power and turned around to return to cll. The cockpit became full of smoke and the pilot windscreen was obstructed by the leaking oil. The pilot shut the engine down and landed off airport. The aircraft was damaged substantially. During the investigation of the engine the oil filler cap/dipstick was observed resting on the filler neck with no threads engaged. The number 6 cylinder failed causing the engine case to break. Internal engine damage indicated that the engine was operating at the time of the engine failure.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ENGINE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT IN CLIMB OUT FROM COLLEGE STATION, TX (CLL). THE PILOT REDUCED POWER AND TURNED AROUND TO RETURN TO CLL. THE COCKPIT BECAME FULL OF SMOKE AND THE PILOT WINDSCREEN WAS OBSTRUCTED BY THE LEAKING OIL. THE PILOT SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND LANDED OFF AIRPORT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DAMAGED SUBSTANTIALLY. DURING THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ENGINE THE OIL FILLER CAP/DIPSTICK WAS OBSERVED RESTING ON THE FILLER NECK WITH NO THREADS ENGAGED. THE NUMBER 6 CYLINDER FAILED CAUSING THE ENGINE CASE TO BREAK. INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE INDICATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING AT THE TIME OF THE ENGINE FAILURE.

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 CEN23LA246Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportCollege Station, TXThe mechanic’s failure to properly secure the oil suction screen plug during recent maintenance, which resulted in an oil leak and subsequent loss of engine power due to oil starvation.Jun 18, 2023 · Substantial damage