- Date
- May 8, 1993, 23:25 local (May 9, 1993, 03:25 UTC)
- Place
- Chesterfield, VA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N82836Piper PA-28-181
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930508041879A
- Case key
- 11933
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
Fatigue failure of the engine crankshaft at the number 1 journal. A factor related to the accident was unsuitable terrain in the emergency landing area.
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
The pilot and two passengers were on a return flight, when there was a loss of engine power during cruise flight. According to the pilot, the engine began running rough after about one hour and ten minutes of flight. He radioed richmond approach control, and he was advised that he was 21 miles from his destination. He stated that he tried to reach Chesterfield airport that was 10 miles away, but the engine seized with a loud clanking sound. A forced landing was made in a wheat field about 1/2 mile from Chesterfield. During the forced landing, the right main gear separated. An examination of the engine revealed a broken crankshaft. The crankshaft was removed and sent to the NTSB lab in Washington, DC. A metallurgical examination revealed the crankshaft had failed, where a fatigue crack had initiated on the surface of the aft radius of the #1 journal.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N82836
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-181
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8190071
- Airframe hours
- 3,703
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aero Industries
- Registered owner
- Jon & Linda Clarke
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 5, 1993 · 6 hours before
- Departed
- BCB · Blacksburg, VA
- Destination
- RIC · Richmond, VA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 50
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,500 total · 7 in this make and model · 5,017 as pilot in command · 50 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- RIC, 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.
Other investigations on N82836 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.