- Date
- March 17, 1986, 19:47 local (Mar 18, 1986, 00:47 UTC)
- Place
- Crossville, TN
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7613JPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860317006939A
- Case key
- 7078
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
On takeoff the plt saw an oil leak around the prop hub. The acft was returned to the airport and the prop governor oil tube fitting was found to be cracked. The part was replaced and the flt was continued. The part was checked during a later refueling stop and was not found to be leaking. During cruise in mountainous terrain an oil leak was again seen. Vectors were received to a nearby arpt. The eng quit and the plt attempted an emergency landing during which the acft struck a tree. Examination of the eng showed that the oil line fitting had again cracked. Both fittings were found by metallurgical examination to have failed due to a low stress high cycle fatigue induced by a high mean tensile stress. The oil line was found to be unrestrained although the service manual calls for two clamps. The resulting vibration induced the stress loads as seen on the two fittings.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7613J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-31005
- Airframe hours
- 5,350
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-B1E, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Oldach, Albert J. Jr.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 11, 1985 · 102 hours before
- Departed
- ABY · Albany, GA
- Destination
- LEX · Lexington, KY
- Airport
- CSV · Crossville
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 230 total · 230 in this make and model · 220 as pilot in command · 23 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CSV, 3 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.