- Date
- December 8, 1988, 09:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Crete, NE
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N5875WPiper PA-28-160
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 25, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881208060449A
- Case key
- 34732
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 pvt pilot said shortly after takeoff, the engine coughed, sputtered, then quit. An emergency ldg was attempted on a farm field which resulted in substantial damage to the acft, serious injury to the pax and minor injuries to the pilot. Post accident investigation revealed a failure of the right magneto drive gears. A manufacturer's service bulletin that specified replacement of the nylon drive gear with a sintered iron gear at 2000 hours, or the first overhaul, had not been compiled with. Engine runup tests after the accident revealed the engine would not run on the right magneto or when both magnetoes were selected.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5875W
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-160
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA28-2544
- Airframe hours
- 2,090
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Morris, Duane E.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 19, 1988 · 62 hours before
- Destination
- 12K · Superior, NE
- Airport
- runway 17, 3,600 × 75 ft, dirt
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
- 33
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 347 total · 65 in this make and model · 307 as pilot in command · 7 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 27 °F, dew point 18 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LNK, 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.