- Date
- December 24, 1994, 15:44 local (20:44 UTC)
- Place
- Tavares, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2829PPiper PA-22-150
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941224043469A
- Case key
- 37715
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 failure of the no.3 connecting rod resulting in a loss of engine power. The lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing was a factor.
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 flight the engine began to run rough due to a failure of the no.3 connecting rod, and lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a private airport. The airplane landed short of the airport in a field and the nose gear collapsed during the landing roll.
Factual narrative
On December 24, 1994, about 1545 eastern standard time, N2829P, a Piper PA-22-150, crashed in Tavares, Florida, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damaged and the commercially-rated pilot reported no injuries. The flight had originated from Leesburg, Florida, about 45 minutes earlier.
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, at 1,000 feet, the engine began to run rough and the engine failed. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a private airport and landed short. The nose gear collapsed on touchdown. Local FAA inspectors examined the airplane and reported the No. 3 connecting rod in the engine failed at the piston pin end. The rod failure surfaces were too badly damaged to allow further examination to determine the failure mode.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2829P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-150
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-3122
- Airframe hours
- 4,009
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Abernathy, John E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 7, 1994 · 112 hours before
- Departed
- LEE · Leesville, FL
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
- 68
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,799 total · 120 in this make and model · 1,659 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 13 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ORL, 24 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.