- Date
- August 7, 1991, 16:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Cartersville, GA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9094ZPiper PA-46-310P
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910807032609A
- Case key
- 8335
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The mechanic's improper replacement of the fuel line b-nut, and the inadequate inspection of the repair work by the quality assurance inspector.
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 the climb to cruise flight the fuel flow decreased, cylinder head temperature & oil temperature increased, & an odor of overheating was detected. When the engine sputtered, the fuel pump was engaged & the engine quit. A forced landing was made in a pasture, where the gear collapsed during the landing roll. Evidence of a fire was found which resulted from a leak at the main fuel line b-nut in the engine compartment. Investigation revealed that the b-nut had been loosened, & not replaced tightly, during replacement of the standby vacuum pump. The qc inspector who examined the repair did not examine the area surrounding the replaced standby vacuum pump.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9094Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-46-310P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 4608022
- Airframe hours
- 1,633
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-52O-BE1B, 310 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Angel Marketing & Advertising
- Registered owner
- Angel Marketing & Advertising
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 13, 1990 · 379 hours before
- Departed
- PDK · Chamblee, GA
- Destination
- CHA · Chatanooga, TN
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 26
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,200 total · 400 in this make and model · 2,100 as pilot in command · 80 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MGE, 10 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.