- Date
- December 16, 1983, 14:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Sikeston, MO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N321HFPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831216061479A
- Case key
- 33602
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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
The acft nose gear collapsed during a forced landing after engine failure. During a x-country flt the engine popped and quit. The plt approached a road to land but saw a vehicle during approach and veered off into a field. Post accident investigation revealed a broken crankshaft which had failed at the number 4 bearing journal cheek. The shaft exhibited several gouges extending through about 90 degrees of the circumference. The fatigue initiation area appeared to be located in one of these gouges. There was no log book entry to indicate a previous sudden stoppage of the engine but numerous cylinder changes over the engine life were noted.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N321HF
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-281
- Airframe hours
- 2,700
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Preprint Sales, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 14, 1983
- Departed
- MKC · Kansas City, MO
- Destination
- JAX · Jacksonville, 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 670 total · 164 in this make and model · 630 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 16 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CGI, 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.
Other investigations on N321HF · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.