20251115017559I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Piper PA-28-180 · Greenwood, IN · November 15, 2025

Date: November 15, 2025 · 20:16 local
Place: Greenwood, IN
Airport: Greenwood Municipal
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N6616J
Reported as: Piper PA-28-180
Reported engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 150 total

N6616JRegistered now · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-5081 · Built 1968 Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180 Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 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.

On November 15, 2025 at approximately 2116 eastern time a Piper P28A in cruise flight over indy south Greenwood airport (hfy) in Greenwood Indiana, experienced an engine vibration followed by a loud bang. The pilot declared an emergency and requested immediate landing at hfy. On final approach to hfy the pilot shutdown the engine. The aircraft made a safe landing with no injuries. It was found on post-incident investigation that the engines #3 cylinder had a catastrophic failure.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 15, 2025 AT APPROXIMATELY 2116 EASTERN TIME A PIPER P28A IN CRUISE FLIGHT OVER INDY SOUTH GREENWOOD AIRPORT (HFY) IN GREENWOOD INDIANA, EXPERIENCED AN ENGINE VIBRATION FOLLOWED BY A LOUD BANG. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND REQUESTED IMMEDIATE LANDING AT HFY. ON FINAL APPROACH TO HFY THE PILOT SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT MADE A SAFE LANDING WITH NO INJURIES. IT WAS FOUND ON POST-INCIDENT INVESTIGATION THAT THE ENGINES #3 CYLINDER HAD A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.