- Date
- July 15, 1991, 12:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place
- So. Lake Tahoe, CA
- Injuries
- 5 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N646RLPiper PA28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910715027469A
- Case key
- 27292
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
Engine failue due to the failure of the crankshaft resulting from failure induced by a non-metallic inclusion in the shaft.
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 engine failed while the aircraft was over lake Tahoe, California, in cruise flight. The pilot was unable to reach an airport and ditched in the lake. An examination of the engine after the accident disclosed that the crankshaft failed. Metallurgical examination disclosed the failure resulted from fatigue induced by a non-metallic inclusion in the shaft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N646RL
- Reported as
- Piper PA28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R35013
- Airframe hours
- 2,888
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-C1C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Rhumb Line Ltd
- Registered owner
- Laurain, Jack J. & Joanne M.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1991 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- RNO · Reno, NV
- Destination
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,873 total · 50 in this make and model · 1,708 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TVL, 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.