- Date
- August 25, 1986, 10:10 local (14:10 UTC)
- Place
- Fort Pierce, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6460WPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 4, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860825086539A
- Case key
- 31698
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
While in cruise flt the acft's eng failed and the acft was ditched in a river. Post crash eng exam revealed the no. 1 and no. 2 connecting rods separated from the crankshaft when both bolts failed on the no. 1 rod and 1 bolt failed on the no. 2 rod. Metallurgical exam of the bolts revealed the rockwell hardness of the no. 1 rod bolts varied from 26 to 44 at various points and the hardness of the failed no. 2 rod bolt varied from 41.6 to 42.2. Microstructure analysis of the failed bolts indicated the structure varied from primarily ferrite near the low hardness areas to primarily martensite near the higher hardness areas. The change in microstructure indicates that although blockages were not obvious in the lubrication system, the bolts were subjected to excessive heat. The no. 1 and no. 2 connecting rod crankshaft journals indicated evidence of scoring and darkening.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6460W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-20533
- Airframe hours
- 2,860
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William G. Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 6, 1986 · 34 hours before
- Departed
- PMP · Pompano Beach, FL
- Destination
- FPR · Fort Pierce, FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 641 total · 185 in this make and model · 501 as pilot in command · 4 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB, 15 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.