# NTSB CHI07LA071: Piper PA-32-300, N4258R, Pellston, MI, February 11, 2007 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: February 10, 2007, 21:15 local (Feb 11, 2007, 02:15 UTC) - Place: Pellston, MI - Coordinates: 45.554711, -84.787564 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.5547&lon=-84.7876&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 2 serious, 2 minor - Status: Completed, report June 30, 2008 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Textron Lycoming, FAA - Grand Rapids FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 65308 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CHI07LA071 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/65308/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI07LA071 ## Probable cause The fatigue failure of the engine cylinder which resulted in a complete loss of engine power, and the unsuitable terrain encountered by the pilot during the subsequent forced landing. Contributing to the accident were the night lighting condition, and trees. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(total) - mech failure/malf, cruise - engine assembly,cylinder - failure,total (cause) - engine assembly,cylinder - fatigue (cause) - Forced landing, emergency descent/landing - In flight collision with object, emergency descent/landing - object - tree(s) (contributing factor) - unsuitable terrain or takeoff/landing/taxi area - encountered, pilot in command (cause) - In flight collision with terrain/water, emergency descent/landing - terrain condition - ground ## Analysis The airplane was substantially damaged when it impacted trees and terrain during a forced landing at night following a mechanical failure of the engine. Examination of the engine revealed that one of the engine cylinders had failed due to fatigue. The origin of the fatigue region coincided with an area that had been thinned by corrosion. The area in question had been covered by gray paint. Checks performed at the most recent annual inspection revealed normal compression readings on all cylinders. ## Factual narrative On February 10, 2007, about 2115 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-32-300, N4258R, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was operating in instrument meteorological conditions and was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot and one passenger received serious injuries and two passengers received minor injuries. The flight originated from the Houghton County Memorial Airport, Hancock, Michigan, about 2000, and was en route to the Oakland County International Airport, Pontiac, Michigan. During the flight, the pilot was in communication with the Minneapolis Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for the IFR flight. The pilot informed the ARTCC controller that he had experienced a catastrophic engine failure. The pilot attempted to divert to the Pellston Regional Airport, near Pellston, Michigan. The airplane subsequently impacted trees in a wooded area near Pellston. Initial examination of the airplane's engine revealed that the upper portion of the number 4 cylinder barrel had separated from the lower portion. The separation occurred about one inch below the cylinder head. Examination of the separated cylinder by the National Transportation Safety Board's Materials Laboratory revealed that the fracture surface contained features consistent with fatigue. The report further indicates that the origin of these fatigue features emanated from a step in the fracture surface and progressed circumferentially from this point. The fatigue features were present approximately one-fourth of the circumference of the cylinder. Further examination revealed that the origin of the fatigue region coincided with an area near the base of one of the cooling fins that appeared to have been thinned by corrosion. This area was found to have been covered by gray paint. Examination of the airplane's maintenance records revealed that it had accumulated a total of 5,798 hours as of its last annual inspection on November 28, 2006. The engine had accumulated 266 hours since overhaul as of the date of that inspection. The engine logbook indicates that the engine underwent a differential compression test at that time and the compression readings were 76/80 psi, 77/80 psi, 74/80 psi, 74/80 psi, 72/80 psi, and 73/80 psi for cylinders number 1 through 6 respectively. The records indicate that the most recent engine overhaul was completed on May 28, 2000, and all 6 cylinders and pistons were replaced during the overhaul. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4258R](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4258R-2009-05-19), registration cancelled 2009-05-19, S/N 32-40630, built 1969 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-32-300 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-300) (registry code 7103212) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming TI0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-ti0-540-series) (registry code 41533, turbo-prop) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 32-40630 - Airframe hours: 5798 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, December 1, 2006 - Departed: CMX, HANCOCK, MI - Destination: PTK, PONTIAC, MI - Flight plan: IFR ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 41; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; seat: left; flight hours: 315 total ## Weather - Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night - Wind: 220° at 8 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,900 ft overcast - Temperature: 16 °F, dew point 9 °F - Altimeter: 30.01 inHg - Observed at: PLN ## 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 20070210006159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20070210006159A), Feb 10, 2007: Piper PA32300, Pellston, MI, Destroyed. (-23) Pilot reported aircraft lost power while in cruise flight from (cmx) houghton/hancock, MI to (ptk) pontiac, MI. The Piper aircraft crashed into a wooded… 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.