- Date
- December 31, 1994, 18:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Lakeland, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4300SPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19941231043429A
- Case key
- 37717
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
Fatigue failure of the engine no.1 valve spring that jammed the intake valve open resulting in partial 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
While in cruise flight the engine lost power and the pilot attempted a forced landing at night to an interstate highway. During approach the airplane hit wires. Examination of the engine after the accident revealed fatigue failure of the no.1 cylinder outer intake valve spring that jammed the inner spring resulting in the valve being jammed open.
Factual narrative
On December 31, 1994, about 1820 eastern standard time, N4300S, a Piper PA-28-161, registered to Air Orlando Sales Inc., crashed in Lakeland, 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 commercial pilot and one passenger received no injuries. The flight originated from the Lakeland Airport about 15 minutes earlier.
The pilot noted a loss of engine power and initiated a forced landing to the median of an interstate highway. The airplane struck wires on approach. Examination by the FAA revealed the No. 1 cylinder outer intake valve spring failed. Further examination of the spring revealed failure signatures consistent with fatigue.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4300S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8316064
- Airframe hours
- 4,068
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Air Orlando Sales Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 3, 1993 · 23 hours before
- Destination
- ORL · Orlando, 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
- 23
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 894 total · 114 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 40° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LAL, 11 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 N4300S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.