# NTSB CEN19LA098: Piper PA32R, N750R, Waterloo, IL, March 12, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: March 12, 2019, 14:42 local (19:42 UTC) - Place: Waterloo, IL - Coordinates: 38.362777, -90.10028 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.3628&lon=-90.1003&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious, 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards, Lycoming Engines - NTSB case key (mKey): 99099 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA098 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99099/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99099 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA098 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power due to a connecting rod failure for reasons that could not be determined due to secondary mechanical damage, which resulted in a subsequent forced landing. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating): recip eng cyl section](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md?model=7103213), [All aircraft, 373 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058530/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-300, 14 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7103213), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-300, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7103213), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot reported that he heard a "horrible noise" and that the engine "immediately seized" about 10 minutes from the destination airport. Oil covered the windshield and obstructed his forward field of view. He executed a forced landing to a road by holding the airplane in a right crab so that he could see out of the left side window. The airplane came to rest inverted in the grass adjacent to the road and sustained damage to the fuselage and wings. A postaccident engine examination revealed that the No. 4 and No. 6 connecting rods had fractured and separated from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination was unable to determine the source of the initial failure due to secondary mechanical damage. The intact fracture surfaces that were available for examination exhibited features consistent with overstress. ## Factual narrative On March 12, 2019, at 1442 central daylight time, a Piper PA32R-300 airplane, N750R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Waterloo, Illinois. The pilot sustained serious injuries, one passenger sustained minor injuries, and the second passenger, a child restrained in a car seat, was not injured. The airplane operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. The pilot reported hearing a "horrible noise" and the engine "immediately seized" about 10 minutes from the destination airport. Oil covered the windshield, obstructing his forward field of view. He executed a forced landing to a road by holding the airplane in a right crab to see out of the left side window. The airplane came to rest inverted in a grass area adjacent to the road with damage to the fuselage and both wings. A postrecovery engine examination revealed the No. 4 and No. 6 connecting rods had separated from the crankshaft. The no. 4 connecting rod was fractured through the upper rod yoke. The corresponding rod cap and bearing fragments were deformed. The no. 6 connecting rod was fractured across one side of the rod yoke; the opposite side was intact but deformed. The corresponding rod cap was deformed. The connecting rods remained attached to the pistons. The pistons were wedged within the cylinders. The pistons, lower cylinder flanges and connecting rods exhibited secondary mechanical damage. The crankshaft was intact. The crankcase was fractured above the No. 4 and No. 6 cylinders exposing a hole in the upper surface of the crankcase. Metallurgical examination was unable to determine source of the initial failure due to secondary mechanical damage. The intact fracture surfaces that were available for examination exhibited features consistent with overstress. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N750R](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N750R-2021-08-10), registration cancelled 2021-08-10, S/N 32R-7780067, built 1976 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA32R (300) - Registry model: [Piper PA-32R-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-300) (registry code 7103213) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (registry code 41530, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32R-7780067 - Year built: 1976 - Airframe hours: 5950.8 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, June 20, 2018, 53 hours before - Departed: BFM, Mobile, AL - Destination: CPS, Cahokia, IL - Flight plan: IFR - Airport: CPS, St Louis Downtown - Equipment: Auto-pilot, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Handheld GPS, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 63; injuries: serious; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: basicmed, with waivers/limitations; last flight review December 21, 2018; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 3,350 total, 2,639 in this make and model, 3,105 as pilot in command, 13 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 150° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 50 °F, dew point 30 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: CPS, 13 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190312000679A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190312000679A), Mar 12, 2019: Piper PA-32R-300, Waterloo, IL, Substantial damage. The 3400 hour commercial instrument pilot departed the mobile Alabama downtown airport (kbfm) in a Piper PA-32R-300, N750R with a destination of st louis… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 31, 2020, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99099. 15.8 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 934 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485686&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Accident Photos (item 2, .PDF, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485687&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Accident%20Photos-Master.PDF - Engine Examination Summary (item 3, .PDF, 45 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485688&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Engine%20Examination%20Summary-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records -- Airframe (item 4, .PDF, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485689&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20--%20Airframe-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records -- Engine (item 5, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485690&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20--%20Engine-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records -- Propeller (item 6, .PDF, 206 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485691&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%20--%20Propeller-Master.PDF - Materials Laboratory Factual Report (item 7, .PDF, 9.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40485692&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Materials%20Laboratory%20Factual%20Report-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.