# NTSB MIA01LA159: Piper PA-28-140, N43466, Dahlonega, GA, June 11, 2001 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 11, 2001, 15:20 local (19:20 UTC) - Place: Dahlonega, GA - Coordinates: 34.579444, -84.020553 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5794&lon=-84.0206&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Initial climb](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/350) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Serious injuries - Injuries: 1 serious - Status: Completed, report November 6, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO, NTSB - NTSB case key (mKey): 52477 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA01LA159 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/52477/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA01LA159 ## Probable cause The failure of the No. 3 exhaust valve due to fatigue cracking for undetermined reasons, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and an in-flight collision with a building during an attempted forced landing to unsuitable terrain.. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of engine power(partial) - mech failure/malf, takeoff - initial climb - engine assembly,valve,exhaust - fatigue - reason for occurrence undetermined (cause) - engine assembly,valve,exhaust - failure,total - Forced landing, descent - emergency - In flight collision with object, descent - emergency - terrain condition - none suitable - object - building(nonresidential) ## Analysis The pilot stated that while taking off on runway 15, about half way down the runway, he felt a loss of engine power and noticed he was not high enough to clear the high terrain in front of him. He decided to aim for a pasture to the right of the departure end of the runway. This is the last thing he recalls. The next thing he remembers is seeing the airplane wrecked in the airport building. After the accident the engine was placed on a test stand under the supervision of NTSB personnel. The engine was started and ran for a few seconds while producing white smoke, and then quit. The engine was again started and produced about 1,500 rpm. The engine operated roughly. The engine was shutdown and the No. 3 cylinder was found to not have an elevated temperature. The No. 3 cylinder was removed and the exhaust valve head was missing. The piston had impact damage from the exhaust valve head and a piece of the exhaust valve head was found in the cylinder. No part number was visible on the broken valve remnants. Metallurgical examination of the remnants of the No. 3 exhaust valve was performed by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The fracture surface on the stem portion of the valve was on a flat transverse plane, with large scale ratchet marks suggestive of fatigue cracking. In addition, three fatigue regions with clear crack arrest positions were noted on the fracture adjacent to the exterior surface of the stem. The exterior surface of the stem in the vicinity of the fracture surface revealed a heavy oxide or deposit scale. Logbook records show the engine was last overhauled at aircraft and engine total time 5,880 hours. At the time of the accident the aircraft and engine total time were 6,646 hours. Logbook records prior to December 12, 1995, had been lost. The engine overhaul had occurred prior to that date. No records concerning the engine overhaul were present in the remaining aircraft records. ## Factual narrative On June 11, 2001, about 1520 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N43466, registered to Wilson Air Services, LLC, crashed during a forced landing following loss of engine power, shortly after takeoff from Lumpkin County-Wimpys Airport, Dahlonega, Georgia, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane received substantial damage and the private-rated pilot received serious injuries. The flight originated from Dahlonega, Georgia, the same day, about 1500. The pilot stated he had made a couple of takeoffs and landings at the Lumpkin County-Wimpys Airport, While taking off on runway 15, he performed a short field takeoff using 25 degrees of wing flaps. About half way down the runway he felt a loss of engine power and noticed he was not high enough to clear the high terrain in front of him. He decided to aim for a pasture to the right of the departure end of the runway. This is the last thing he recalls. The next thing he remembers is seeing the airplane wrecked in the airport building. After the accident the engine was placed on a test stand under the supervision of NTSB personnel. The engine was started and ran for a few seconds while producing white smoke, and then quit. The engine was again started and produced about 1,500 rpm. The engine operated roughly. The engine was shutdown and the No. 3 cylinder was found to not have an elevated temperature. The No. 3 cylinder was removed and the exhaust valve head was missing. The piston had impact damage from the exhaust valve head and a piece of the exhaust valve head was found in the cylinder. Examination of the No. 3 exhaust valve remnants showed no part number was visible on the parts. Metallurgical examination of the remains of the number 3 exhaust valve was performed by the NTSB Materials Laboratory, Washington, D.C. The fracture surface on the stem portion of the valve was on a flat transverse plane, with large scale ratchet marks suggestive of fatigue cracking. In addition, three fatigue regions with clear crack arrest positions were noted on the fracture adjacent to the exterior surface of the stem. The exterior surface of the stem in the vicinity of the fracture surface revealed a heavy oxide or deposit scale. (See NTSB Materials Laboratory Report.) Logbook records show the engine was last overhauled at aircraft and engine total time 5,880 hours. At the time of the accident the aircraft and engine total time were 6,646 hours. Logbook records prior to December 12, 1995, had been lost. The engine overhaul had occurred prior to that date. No records concerning the engine overhaul were present in the remaining aircraft records. (See Aircraft and Engine Logbook Records.) ## Aircraft - Registration: [N43466](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N43466-2014-10-14), registration cancelled 2014-10-14, S/N 28-7425370, built 1974 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper PA-28-140 - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-140](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (registry code 7102802) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 28-7425370 - Airframe hours: 6646 - Engines: Lycoming O-320-E3D 150 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Registered owner: Wilson Air Services, LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, May 1, 2001, 14 hours before - Departed: 9A0, Dahlonega - Airport: 9A0, Lumpkin County-Wimpys, runway 15, 3,035 × 50 ft, asphalt ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: serious; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; last flight review March 14, 2001; seat: left; flight hours: 230 total, 26 in this make and model, 209 as pilot in command, 26 in the last 90 days, 2 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 250° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 81 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 29.97 inHg - Observed at: AHN, 45 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 (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20010611021469A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20010611021469A), Jun 11, 2001: Piper PA28140, Dahlonega, GA, No damage. (-23) The pilot involved flew this aircraft over two hours earlier the day of the incident. He flew from 9A0 to gvl and back to 9A0. Later in the day he… ## Other investigations on N43466 (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB MIA76AM057](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA76AM057), Jan 15, 1976: Piper PA-28 (N43466), Melbourne, FL, substantial damage From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.