# NTSB ERA17LA169: Piper PA32RT, N31678, Coral Springs, FL, April 30, 2017 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 30, 2017, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC) - Place: Coral Springs, FL - Coordinates: 26.315277, -80.240554 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.3153&lon=-80.2406&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report April 13, 2020 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 95090 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA17LA169 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/95090/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95090 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17LA169 ## Probable cause The in-flight disconnection of the fuel injection servo throttle linkage, which resulted in a loss of engine power. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine controls: mixture control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602/cases.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 41 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01057602/cases.md) - [Terrain: sloped/uneven terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017/cases.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 270 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021017/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Enroute-cruise: Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340); cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/340/sequence.md) - [Enroute-cruise: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342); cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Landing-landing roll: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper PA-32RT-300, 11 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7103215), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis While the airplane was in cruise flight, the airline transport pilot noticed a drop in manifold pressure; he advanced the throttle to regain power. After several unsuccessful attempts to regain full power, he made a forced landing and the airplane collided with a ditch, which resulted in damage to the right wing spar. Postaccident examination of the throttle body fuel injection servo revealed the throttle cable linkage was loose at the attachment point of the throttle body fuel injection servo. Further examination revealed the throttle cable linkage had slipped because the gear teeth did not make full contact locking together. Some of the gear teeth on the throttle linkage and on the throttle body servo were worn with flat spots. It is likely that this condition ultimately resulted in the pilot's inability to control the power setting of the engine. ## Factual narrative On April 30, 2017, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA32RT-300, N31678, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Coral Springs, Florida. The airline transport pilot and pilot-rated passenger were not injured. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight.According to the pilot, during cruise flight he noticed that the engine manifold pressure dropped. He advanced the throttle forward to regain engine power, with no response from the engine. The engine continued to run smoothly at a reduced power setting; however, he was unable to maintain altitude. After several additional unsuccessful attempts to increase engine power, the pilot declared an emergency, and subsequently performed a forced landing on a levy. During the landing roll, the airplane veered off the side of the levy and collided with a ditch. Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the aft right wing spar was damaged. An examination of the throttle body fuel injection servo revealed the throttle cable linkage attachment was disconnected from throttle body. An inspection of the throttle cable revealed the cable operated smoothly without any binding, and it moved freely while opening and closing the throttle position. The fuel injection throttle body servo was removed from aircraft for further inspection and revealed that the throttle linkage was loose at the attachment point of the throttle body fuel injection servo. The castle nut and cotter pin were installed but the castle nut was loose, not allowing the throttle linkage teeth to make full contact with fuel injection throttle body servo linkage teeth that controlled the butterfly valve within the throttle body. Operating the linkage manually revealed that the linkage slipped since the gear teeth were not tightened completely and did not make full contact locking together. The throttle linkage gear teeth were also worn with flat spots on some of the gearing teeth. The throttle body linkage gearing teeth also had flat spots on the assembly. According to the airplane's maintenance records, the engine was most recently overhauled in June 2014. At that time an overhauled throttle body fuel injection servo was installed onto the engine. The engine had since undergone annual inspections in August 2015 and September 2016, and both of the maintenance log entries documenting those inspections did not explicitly mention inspection or maintenance of the throttle body fuel injection servo. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N31678](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N31678), registered now, S/N 32R-7885119 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA32RT (300) - Registry model: [Piper PA-32RT-300](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32rt-300) (registry code 7103215) (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-7885119 - Year built: 1978 - Airframe hours: 3794.24 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540KIG5D 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, September 1, 2016, 36 hours before - Departed: GIF, WINTER HAVEN, FL - Destination: FXE, FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - Equipment: Unknown ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 72; injuries: none; airline transport; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea, multi-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 18,737 total, 1,552 in this make and model, 18,501 as pilot in command, 130 in the last 90 days, 28 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours - Pilot-rated passenger; age 61; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 261 total, 109 in this make and model, 29 as pilot in command, 4 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 110° at 21 knots, gusting 26 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 2,400 ft broken - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 70 °F - Observed at: FXE, 10 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 20170430004399A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170430004399A), Apr 30, 2017: Piper PA-32RT-300, Coral Springs, FL, Substantial damage. Piper PA32, N31678 with one pilot and a passenger on board. Aircraft was operating under part 91. Aircraft took off from winter haven (kgif) heading to fort… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 29, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=95090. 2.5 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 1.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478474&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Memorandum of Record - FAA Inspector's Statement (item 2, .PDF, 79 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478475&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Memorandum%20of%20Record%20-%20FAA%20Inspector%27s%20Statement%20-Master.PDF - Maintenance Logbook Excerpts (item 3, .PDF, 915 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478476&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Logbook%20Excerpts-Master.PDF - Photo Array (item 4, .PDF, 513 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40478477&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%20Array-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.