- Date
- April 5, 1991, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Schaumburg, IL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N2366WPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910405009229A
- Case key
- 15033
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 mechanic's not understanding the identifying marks on the replacement part. A factor in the accident was that the mechanic was provided with an improper part.
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 airplane's engine seized at 70 feet on takeoff climb, and the pilot executed a forced landing. The engine had recently undergone replacement of the number 1 cylinder; no other parts were changed. Paint marks on the replacement cylinder indicated it had been chrome plated to standard bore. The 3 remaining cylinders and all pistons were marked 0.010 oversize. The operator's director of maintenance obtained the replacement part and provided it to the mechanic. The operator's mechanic stated he was unaware what the cylinders' color marks signified and had not measured matching parts during replacement.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2366W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8516 046
- Airframe hours
- 3,528
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Northwest Flyers Inc
- Registered owner
- Three B'S Aero
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 22, 1991 · 25 hours before
- Airport
- 06C · Schuamburg Air Park
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
- 24
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,325 total · 1,550 in this make and model · 2,225 as pilot in command · 250 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORD, 9 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 N2366W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.