- Date
- July 22, 1992, 11:52 local (18:52 UTC)
- Place
- Las Vegas, NV
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N3074FPiper PA-28R-201T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920722026789A
- Case key
- 27699
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 maintenance personnel to safety the engine oil drain plug and the poor engine overhaul. Factors relating to this accident are: oil starvation; the failure of the connecting rods; the incorrect connecting rod bolts; and the connecting rod bolts undertorque.
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 pilot was completing a visual personal flight. He received vectors to runway 19 final approach course and when the airplane was about 2 miles from the runway threshold, the pilot applied additional throttle. The engine momentarily responded and then continued to miss. The pilot heard a muffled explosion and observed a very small puff of white/blue smoke emanating from the right side of the engine cowling. The engine quit when the airplane was about 1 1/2 miles from the threshold at 2,500 feet mean sea level. The airplane's altitude was insufficient to negotiate the airport and the pilot elected to land in an open vacant lot. The airplane burst into flames after it came to rest. Examination of the engine showed that during the recent top overhaul the mechanics installed the wrong connecting rod bolts that were improperly torqued. The oil drain plug came loose while in flight causing the engine to sustain a catastrophic failure. The mechanics failed to safety the oil drain plug.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3074F
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28R-201T (PA-28R-201)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7918013
- Airframe hours
- 3,430
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Derobertis, John & Patricia
- Registered owner
- Derobertis, John & Patricia
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1992 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- L66 · Corona, 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
- 51
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 930 total · 752 in this make and model · 887 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 20° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 95 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.