- Date
- October 1, 1983, 22:30 local (Oct 2, 1983, 03:30 UTC)
- Place
- Smithville, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2541QPiper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19831001056939A
- Case key
- 21168
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
During cruise at 8,500 ft MSL the eng quit. A night emergency landing was made at an arpt that the acft had just flown over. On final approach the plt could not see thru the windshield very well due to oil building up on the windshield. The plt held the gear up until a landing on the rwy was assured. After crossing a road in front of the rwy the plt started the gear down. There was insufficient time for the right main landing gear & nose gear to lock in the down position. The acft touched down 366 ft beyond the threshold. Eng teardown & metallurgical examination revealed that the #4 connecting rod had failed due to fatigue. Sem viewing of the origin area revealed a single fatigue initiation site at a change in contour on the flange end. The irregular contour was not found at the other 3 flange ends. Also, oxide inclusions & forging defects were found along the original rod surface.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2541Q
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R770367
- Airframe hours
- 2,103
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-F, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- W. W. Stevenson, Jr
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 2, 1983 · 103 hours before
- Departed
- BBD · Brady, TX
- Destination
- 89R · Spring, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- 84R · Smithville Muni, runway 17, 3,200 × 50 ft, asphalt
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 41 in this make and model · 31 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Visibility
- 35 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- AUS, 40 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.