- Date
- September 11, 1989, 08:52 local (13:52 UTC)
- Place
- Bentonville, AR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N8995NPiper PA-32-300
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890911034069A
- Case key
- 34696
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 loose oil line that became disconnected, when maintenance/inspection of the aircraft had not been completed, which resulted in loss of engine oil and subsequent failure of the connecting rod from lack of lubrication. A factor related to the accident was: inadequate surveillance of the operation by company/management personnel.
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 plt was using a company acft that had been svcd with new flex oil hoses, but the company mechanic had not completed the installation before leaving work for the day. He (the mechanic) had deferred completion of the work until the flwg Monday. Rprtdly, a leak chk of the oil hoses was accomplished by the plt, but a log of this was not entered in the maint record before the flt. Drg an ILS LOC apch, the plt rprtd a loss of oil pressure. Subsequently, a connecting rod in the eng failed fm lack of lubrication & the acft crashed into trees drg an emerg lndg. An inspn of the acft revealed a disconnected oil hose between 2 oil coolers. The hose had vibrated free fm a fitting & oil had been pumped overboard. The otr oil hoses were still securely fastened.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8995N
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-300
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-40878
- Airframe hours
- 5,258
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Mid Planes, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 14, 1989 · 50 hours before
- Departed
- BVO · Bartlesville, OK
- Destination
- ASG · Springdale, AR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- ASG · Springdale Muni, runway 18, 5,302 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 27
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,747 total · 130 in this make and model · 1,618 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- FYV, 26 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 N8995N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.