- Date
- December 1, 1996, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sugarloaf Key, FL
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9545JPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 1997
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19961201036949A
- Case key
- 38183
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
a complete loss of engine power due to a disconnected connecting rod cap.
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 elected to land on a road. As the airplane touched down the left wing struck the brush on the side of the road, veered left, and turned 180 degrees opposite the direction of travel. Witnesses reported seeing black smoke coming from the engine before impact. The airplane's engine was disassembled, and the examination revealed that the No. 3 connecting rod cap had become detached from the crankshaft assembly, resulting in external damage to the engine. In addition, the remaining connecting rod assemblies were found to be incorrectly installed, and the nuts were all found opposite end down. The No. 2 and No. 4 assemblies were found to be loose.
Factual narrative
On December 1, 1996, about 1200 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-180, N9545J, registered to a private owner, operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 91, personal flight, crashed during a forced landing near Sugarloaf Key, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was substantially damage. The private pilot received serious injuries, and one passenger received minor injuries.
While in cruise flight the pilot noticed a fluctuation in engine rpm. The engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land on a road. As the airplane touched down the left wing struck the brush on the side of the road, veered left, and turned 180 degrees opposite the direction of travel. Witnesses reported seeing black smoke coming from the engine before impact.
The airplane's engine was disassembled under the supervision of the FAA, at Certified Engines Inc., Opa-Locka, Florida, on December 12, 1996. The engine examination revealed that the No. 3 connecting rod cap had become detached from the crankshaft assembly, resulting in external damage to the engine. In addition, the FAA inspector stated, the remaining connecting rod assemblies were found to be "incorrectly installed," and the nuts were "all found opposite end down." The No. 2 and No. 4 assemblies were found to be "loose."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9545J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-3693
- Airframe hours
- 3,923
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4A, 180 lbs thrust, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Edig Executive Aircraft Inc.
- Registered owner
- Peter K. Hennies
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 23, 1996 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- EYW · Key West, FL
- Destination
- FXE · Ft Luaderdale, 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
- 35
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 330 total · 2 in this make and model · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Day
- Wind
- Variable at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- KEY, 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.