- Date
- February 22, 1992, 13:37 local (21:37 UTC)
- Place
- Ludlow, CA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9343CPiper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920222003489A
- Case key
- 27561
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 failure of the repair station to adequately perform a top overhaul and comply with a service bulletin. Contributing to this accident was the failure of the connecting rod due to fatigue and unsuitable terrain.
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 sustained a catastrophic connecting rod failure while in cruise flight and was substantially damaged during the subsequent emergency landing on an interstate highway. The engine examination disclosed that the no. 5 connecting rod failed at the small end due to fatigue. The failed connecting rod was a cornel forging 626119. The logbook examination disclosed that the nos. 5 and 6 cylinders were removed and replaced about 10 months before the accident and that maintenance facility failed to comply with Continental service bulletin no. M86-11, rev. 1. This service bulletin recommends that when the cylinders are removed for any reason the cornel forging connecting rod 626119 should be replaced with a stronger connecting rod.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9343C
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7803254
- Airframe hours
- 1,460
- Engine
- Continental TSIO-360-FB1, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Higgins, Melvin W & Jean
- Registered owner
- Higgins, Melvin W & Jean
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 1992 · 25 hours before
- Departed
- LHU · Lake Havasu Cit, AZ
- Destination
- BUR · Burbank, 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 500 in this make and model · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 60 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.