- Date
- March 16, 1992, 06:45 local (12:45 UTC)
- Place
- Aberdeen, MS
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N16388Piper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920316006449A
- Case key
- 32981
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 pilot-in-command's decision to initiate a turn back to the airport at a low altitude following loss of engine power.
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
At approximately 100-foot altitude, after takeoff, witnesses heard engine sputter and lose power. Aircraft was then observed to bank steeply to the left and descend into trees. A postcrash fire erupted. The no. 3 connecting rod had failed due to fatigue. The fatigue originated in galling marks in the bearing area on the crankshaft end. According to Lycoming engines, galling is caused by engine overspeed or overboost. No records of these events having occurred were found. After no. 3 rod separated, it jammed into the engine case and did not hinder rotation of the engine. The propeller was found to have rotational damage, and blade angle at impact was in the 2100 RPM range. Several large tree limbs were found cut by the propeller at the crash site.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16388
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-7340084
- Airframe hours
- 3,150
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- S And S Construction Co., Inc.
- Registered owner
- S And S Construction Co., Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 1, 1991 · 124 hours before
- Destination
- 20M · Macon, MS
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,148 total · 400 in this make and model · 2,012 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CBM, 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.