- Date
- July 1, 1992, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Greenville, VA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8141HPiper PA-32R-301T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920701023799A
- Case key
- 11806
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 fatigue failure of the fuel injector fuel line resulting in engine failure. Contributing to the accident was the unsuitable terrain in which the forced landing was made.
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
While in cruise at 12,000 feet MSL the engine lost total power. The pilot made a forced landing on a field in Greenville, VA. The on scene investigation revealed the fuel injector line between the fuel manifold and the number 6 cylinder fuel nozzle was broken. A metallurgical study revealed that the separation of the fuel line occurred by metal fatigue. The safety board recommended to the FAA, recommendation A-29-10, on March 2, 1992, that an airworthiness directive (a) be published addressing the fuel line failures. The FAA issued an AD (92-12-10), on June 5, 1992, requiring a visual inspection, within 10 flight hours, of each fuel injector fuel line, and look for missing support clamps, or support clamps that are not secure and are not properly supporting the fuel line. The accident airplane had not yet accrued 10 flight hours since the adoption of the AD.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8141H
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32R-301T (PA-32R-301)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-80290042
- Airframe hours
- 2,357
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Butler Air Inc.
- Registered owner
- Mark P. Vincent
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 9, 1992 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- CRE · N. Myrtle Beach, SC
- Destination
- BTP · Butler, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 36
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 338 total · 68 in this make and model · 319 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CHO, 1 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.