- Date
- July 3, 1987, 14:35 local (18:35 UTC)
- Place
- Benton Harbor, MI
- Injuries
- 3 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7681JPiper PA-28R-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19870703032319A
- Case key
- 13601
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 the aircraft was climbing to altitude the pilot tried to decrease power to cruise climb but had to reduce power more to control the propeller RPM. The pilot decreased the power once again and shortly after the engine stopped. The pilot then attempted to make an emergency landing in a soccer field. During the landing roll directional control was not maintained and the aircraft struck a tree, then two telephone poles and finally came to rest against a parked vehicle. Post acc exam of the engine revealed a failure of the connecting rod bearings on cylinders #3 & 4. No reason for the lack of prop control was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7681J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R31082
- Airframe hours
- 1,794
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Maurice R. Rushlow
- Registered owner
- Tail Dragger Flyers, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 7, 1987 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- BEH · Benton Harbor, MI
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
- 54
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 904 total · 49 in this make and model · 696 as pilot in command · 52 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BEH, 2 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.