- Date
- May 6, 1982, 16:45 local (20:45 UTC)
- Place
- Front Royal, VA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4903JPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820506014079A
- Case key
- 70768
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During flight the aircraft engine developed a noise which the pilot described as a hissing. The pilot declared an emergency, was vectored to the nearest airport, and proceeded to shut off the engine at 5000 feet when over the airport. During the forced landing the airplane was flown beneath electrical transmission wires located near the runway threshold and impacted approximately 200 yards short of the runway. Approximately 1/2 inch of the number 1 exhaust riser was found attached to the cylinder with the remainder lying in the engine cowl lower section. Examination revealed soot deposits on the engine cowl adjacent to the number 1 engine exhaust riser. A light brown discoloration was observed on the number one cylinder lower spark plug and the fracture surfaces of the separated number 1 exhaust riser. The Piper aircraft corporation indicated that misalignment of the cylinder head could result in a cracked stack assembly immediately below the stack assembly flange.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4903J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-30621
- Airframe hours
- 2,463
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Ralph Joseph Hubert
- Registered owner
- Ralph Joseph Hubert
- Departed
- GAI · Gaithersburg, MD
- Destination
- BPI · Blacksburg, VA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- FRR · Front Royal-Warren Co, runway 9, 3,000 × 50 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,000 total · 1,600 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 165 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHO, 50 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.