- Date
- December 6, 1991, 14:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N7411JPiper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19911206055139A
- Case key
- 33038
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 separation of numbers 1,2, and 3 connecting rods for undetermined reasons resulting in 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
Eng lost partial power and plt turned back toward departure arpt. After turn plt noticed oil pressure was zero. Eng then lost all power. Acft collided with a fence and a ditch while making a forced landing. A post crash fire errupted and consumed the acft. Post crash examination of the eng assembly revealed numbers 1, 2, and 3 connecting rods were disconnected from the crankshaft and the rod bearings were burned and scored. The engine oil pump was intact. The eng accessories had burned away and the cause of connecting rod separation could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7411J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-24776
- Airframe hours
- 3,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- James A. Orcutt
- Registered owner
- William D. Orcutt
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 1, 1990 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- LZU · Lawrenceville, GA
- Destination
- 08A · Wetumpka, AL
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 77 total · 77 in this make and model · 49 as pilot in command · 31 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PDK, 20 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.