# NTSB MIA08LA169: Piper PA-32R-301, N532MJ, Oxford, MS, August 4, 2008 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: August 4, 2008, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC) - Place: Oxford, MS - Coordinates: 34.427776, -89.61972 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.4278&lon=-89.6197&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report June 22, 2009 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: Lycoming Engines, FAA/FSDO, Piper Aircraft - NTSB case key (mKey): 68752 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA08LA169 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/68752/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA08LA169 ## Probable cause A loss of engine power due to fuel starvation as a result of maintenance personnel's failure to tighten a fuel line fitting. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Fuel system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Incorrect service/maintenance (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800/cases.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 181 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022800/cases.md) - [Maintenance: installation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035): Personnel issues › Task performance · Maintenance personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035/cases.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 371 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02062035/cases.md) - [Terrain: rough terrain](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Contributed to outcome; cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 442 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03021015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft maintenance event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 484 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Fuel starvation](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 733 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/191/sequence.md) - [Enroute: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Piper PA-32R-301, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7103218), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis According to the pilot, he was picking up the airplane following an engine overhaul. About 20 minutes into the flight home, the engine went to idle. The pilot set up for best glide and prepared for an emergency landing into a field. During the landing roll the airplane sustained substantial damage. During the visual examination of the engine, the lower fitting of the fuel supply line from the fuel injector servo to the fuel flow divider was observed loose. The "B" nut was marked and then tightened; the number of flats on the nut were counted and the nut was turned 8 flats before it was secure and tight. The loose "B" nut would have interfered with the fuel supply, resulting in a loss of engine power. ## Factual narrative On August 4, 2008, about 1830 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, N532MJ, registered to J-Com Inc., crashed into a bean field while attempting a forced landing following a loss of engine power in Oxford, Mississippi. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as a personal flight under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The flight originated from the Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport (M41), Holly Springs, Mississippi, about 1800, on the same day. According to the pilot, he was picking up the airplane following an engine overhaul. He took off and was heading for the Bruce Campbell Field (MBO), Madison, Mississippi. About 20 minutes into the flight the engine went to idle. The pilot set up for best glide, and prepared for an emergency landing into a bean field about 5 miles northwest of the University-Oxford Airport (UOX), Oxford, Mississippi. During the landing roll the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings, their control surfaces, and the fuselage. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector found all three blades of the propeller were bent aft about 90 degrees near mid span and the leading edges of the blades were "worn and abraided [sic]." The fuselage had been placed on stands for further examination. The right main gear was broken and separated. The left main gear had collapsed and was in the wheel well. The nose gear door was loose and bent and the top right corner of the firewall was buckled. On August 13, 2008, an engine examination and run was conducted at the facilities of Dallas Air Salvage in Arlington, Texas. Present at the examination was a FAA representative from the Dallas FSDO, a representative from Piper Aircraft, a representative from Lycoming Engines, and the owner of John Jewell Aircraft, Inc. Examination of the engine logbooks found that it had been installed following a Lycoming factory overhaul and had about 35-45 minutes of operating time since the instillation. The installation was performed by John Jewell Aircraft, Inc., 162 A. Q. Greer Dr. Holly Springs, Mississippi, 38635. The Hobbs meter at the time of the installation was 1035.8 hours. Examination of the engine found no visible damage to the accessories section. About eight quarts of clean engine oil was present in the oil sump. All of the top spark plugs were removed and the cylinders were inspected using a lighted borescope, no anomalies were noted. During the visual examination of the engine, the lower fitting of the fuel supply line from the fuel injector servo to the fuel flow divider was observed loose. The "B" nut was marked and then tightened, the number of flats on the nut were counted, and the nut was turned 8 flats before it was secure and tight. After securing the "B" nut the damaged propeller was removed and a two-bladed test propeller was installed. The engine was rotated by hand and the impulse couplings were heard snapping and continuity was observed throughout the rotating assembly. A temporary fuel supply was connected to the fuel selector valve and the engine was started using onboard power. The engine performed normally through mid range, a magneto check was performed with normal readings, and then the revolutions per minute (RPM) were increased to maximum RPM (2400), which was governor limited with the temporary propeller. The "B" nut was loosened on the fuel flow divider source line at the flow divider and an immediate drop in fuel flow and RPM was noted. This was consistent with what the pilot had experienced during the accident flight. The "B" nut was again secured and the engine resumed its normal operation. Following the engine shut down, the representative from John Jewell Aircraft Inc., was asked if the mechanic recalled securing that subject line, he stated that the mechanic did not check the line as it was already installed by Lycoming before the engine was shipped to him, and he had assumed that it was secure. According to Lycoming, this engine was a custom overhauled under HENPL-RT9591. This HENPL requires that the fuel servo be shipped loose, meaning that the fuel injector should have been provided in a box on the skid with the engine. The injector would have had to have been installed by a mechanic in the field and the subject hose would also have had to have been connected in the field. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N532MJ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N532MJ), registered now, S/N 3246203 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Piper Aircraft PA-32R-301 - Registry model: [Piper PA-32R-301](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32r-301) (registry code 7103218) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 3246203 - Airframe hours: 1036 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, August 4, 2008, 0 hours before - Departed: M41, Holly Springs, MS - Destination: MBO, Madison, MS ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; last flight review August 7, 2006; seat: left; flight hours: 1,495 total, 1,217 in this make and model, 1,323 as pilot in command, 23 in the last 90 days, 10 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 4 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 88 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 30.00 inHg - Observed at: TUP, 5 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 20080804843139A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20080804843139A), Aug 4, 2008: Piper PA32R301, Oxford, MS, Substantial damage. (-23) Prior to departing the holly springs airport (M41) the pilot flew the aircraft for 15 minutes to check for any leaks on a recently installed factory new… 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.