- Date
- September 3, 1991, 19:15 local (Sep 4, 1991, 02:15 UTC)
- Place
- Redwood City, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2080TPiper PA-28R-200
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910903038419A
- Case key
- 27349
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 fatigue failure of the number two connecting rod and rod cap due to an engine overspeed condition which the rods and rod caps were exposed at some undetermined historical point.
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 400 hour since factory remanufactured engine began to run rough, then it quit with a loud 'bang.' The pilot was attempting to complete a forced landing in a pasture area when the aircraft collided with the ground. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the number two cylinder connecting rod and its associated rod cap had failed. Metallurgical examination of all connecting rods and caps was performed. The #2 rod and cap failed due to a fatigue fracture with an origin on the bore surface. Areas of galling were found on both the rod cap and the connecting rod bore. Cracks were identified within the galled area on the number two connecting rod bore. Examination of the three remaining connecting rods and their caps revealed galled areas within the bores. The metallurgists stated that he had observed similar failures on helicopter piston engines which were known to have had an overspeed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2080T
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-200
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7135024
- Airframe hours
- 3,646
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360-CIC, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Crawford, Jeffrey C.
- Registered owner
- Crawford, Jeffrey C.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 21, 1991 · 26 hours before
- Departed
- SQL · San Carlos, CA
- Destination
- SNS · Salinas, 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 492 total · 393 in this make and model · 307 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 30 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.