- Date
- July 23, 1990, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- West Fork, AR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7202PPiper PA-24
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 28, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900723028259A
- Case key
- 23154
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 catastrophic failure of the engine.
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 cruising at 6,500 feet mean sea level the PA24-250 experienced a catastrophic engine failure due to the idler gear bolt failing and jamming the crankshaft gear. The pilot executed an emergency landing to a narrow farm road, during the landing roll the wing struck a utility pole causing substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7202P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-2372
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1A5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Fisher Glenn D.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Departed
- M48 · Houston, MO
- Destination
- BKD · Breckenridge, 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 394 total · 296 in this make and model · 350 as pilot in command · 59 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- FYV, 25 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.