- Date
- March 14, 1988, 18:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Dorado, PR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5611ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19880314005289A
- Case key
- 32150
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
While on a personal flt in normal cruise at an alt of 1000 ft aprx 2 miles southeast of the arpt, the eng began to misfire and the cabin filled with smoke. The plt elected to land in a clearing. The plt also stated that the eng was losing pwr and tht a/c could not maintain alt. During th elndg roll the nose gear broke off after hitting a small rise in terrain. The a/c nosed over & came to rest. Post-crash insp revealed that the muffler had several pin size rust holes which permitted the exhaust to burn through the shroud and melt the lt magneto wiring harness insulation, voltage regulator wiring and battery wires from the generator. After replacing the magneto wiring harness an eng runup was accomplished with no problems noted. The muffler shroud was made of aluminum rather than stainless steel.
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 on a personal flt in normal cruise at an alt of 1000 ft aprx 2 miles southeast of the arpt, the eng began to misfire and the cabin filled with smoke. The plt elected to land in a clearing. The plt also stated that the eng was losing pwr and that a/c could not maintain alt. During the lndg roll the nose gear broke off after hitting a small rise in terrain. The a/c nosed over & came to rest. Post-crash insp revealed that the muffler had several pin size rust holes which permitted the exhaust to burn through the shroud and melt the lt magneto wiring harness insulation, voltage regulator wiring and battery wires from the generator. After replacing the magneto wiring harness an eng runup was accomplished with no problems noted. The muffler shroud was made of aluminum rather than stainless steel.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5611Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-9384
- Airframe hours
- 3,675
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-C1, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William J. Norris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 20, 1988 · 15 hours before
- Departed
- ABO · Arecibo, PR
- Airport
- PR02 · Dorado
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 100 total · 14 in this make and model · 44 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU, 33 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.
Other investigations on N5611Z · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.