# Incident 20250519013689I: Piper PA-32-260, West, TX, May 19, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 19, 2025, 14:20 local time
- Place: West, TX
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.8031° N, 97.0946° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of West, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.8031&lon=-97.0946&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3498W, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N3498W) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-540 series (registry code 41532, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-260
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-540 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 995 total, 22 in this make and model, 180 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250519013689I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WAS DELAYED LEAVING DUE TO LOW IFR. AFTER THEY MET AT THE AIRPLANE AND BRIEFED, TAXIED TO RUNWAY 17. THE STUDENT PICKED UP HIS CLEARANCE AND HAD ANOTHER DELAY FOR A KING AIR DEPARTING. ON DEPARTURE THE AIRPLANE CLIMBED TO 4000 FEET. AFTER BEING VECTORED AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT THEY WERE TURNED BACK FOR THE APPROACH AND CLEARED DOWN TO 2200 FEET. THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT BOTH NOTICED THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING A LITTLE ROUGH AND PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE QUICKLY. WITHIN A MINUTE OF THE FIRST INDICATION, THEY SAID THEY HEARD A "POP" FOLLOWED BY SMOKE COMING OUT FROM BENEATH THE ENGINE COWLING. AS THE AIRPLANE DESCENDED THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT CHOSE A ROAD FOR THEIR EMERGENCY LANDING. THEY MISSED ALL TRAFFIC ON THE ROAD, MAILBOXES, ROADSIGNS, TREES AND POWERLINES. AFTER FLOATING THEN ROLLING TO A STOP, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING EVEN WITH ONE CYLINDER NO LONGER MOUNTED TO THE CASE. THE RPMS AT THIS POINT HAD A WIDE VARIATION. ENGINE SHUT OFF WITH MIXTURE. AFTER MOVING THE AIRPLANE FROM THE ROADWAY CALLS WERE MADE TO APPROACH AND 911.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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