- Date
- January 31, 1985, 11:24 local (19:24 UTC)
- Place
- Bishop, CA
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2129GPiper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850131004929A
- Case key
- 24466
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
The plt rptd that shortly after leveling off at 11500 ft MSL, the engine exploded causing both windscreens to be covered with oil and fire. The fire stopped during the emergency descent. The acft landed on ry 30 at Bishop arpt, Bishop, CA without further incident. Disassembly examination of the engine revealed crankshaft failed at the short cheek between the no. 3 main journal & the no. 4 crankpin. The nos. 3 & 4 connecting rods & camshaft were fractured. The pistons showed no evidence of any detonation. The backside of the con rods, main journal bearings & both halves of the crankcase showed extensive fretting signatures indicating misalignment during manufacture. Metallurgical examination revealed the crankshaft failed in fatigue. All other fractures were overload subsequent to the crankshaft failure. The engine had accumulated 602 flt hours since new.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2129G
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R7987080
- Airframe hours
- 602
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Thomas G. Merry, Md
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 30, 1984 · 31 hours before
- Departed
- MMH · Mammoth Lakes, CA
- Destination
- ONT · Ontario, CA
- Airport
- BIH · Bishop, runway 30, 7,500 × 100 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
- 34
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 288 total · 22 in this make and model · 250 as pilot in command · 32 in the last 90 days · 22 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 36 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BIH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.