- Date
- October 12, 1989, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Henderson, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6636WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891012040009A
- Case key
- 23063
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 loss of engine power as a result of a failure of the number 3 exhaust valve due to undetermined reasons. Factors involved in the accident were the previous owner's delay in overhauling the engine and his failure to adhere to the manufacturer's recommended maintenance instructions and rough terrain in the touchdown area of the emergency landing.
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 experienced a hard landing after an engine failure in cruise flight and the ensuing forced landing in rough terrain. The engine failure was determined to be the result of the failure of the #3 exhaust valve. However, the root cause of the valve failure could not be determined metallurgically due to secondary damage to all of the fracture surfaces. The pilot had recently purchased the airplane and the engine was 661 hours past the recommended overhaul time. A service instruction critical to the replacement of the existing valves with heavier duty valves had not been complied with prior to the sale or the accident. The purchaser was not aware of the service instruction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6636W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20735
- Airframe hours
- 1,861
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas A. Wainwright
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 20, 1989
- Departed
- JSO · Jacksonville, TX
- Destination
- GGG · Longview, TX
- Airport
- NONE
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
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,190 total · 15 in this make and model · 940 as pilot in command · 100 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 5° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.