- Date
- November 14, 1988, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pawling, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N54394Piper PA-28-140
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report June 25, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881114050569A
- Case key
- 36335
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
Off airport landing in unsuitalbe terrain following a power loss caused by loss of lubrication due to spalling on the camshaft and corresponding tappet body faces.
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 aircraft experienced a power loss and made an off airport landing. During the investigation the engine was torn down and four intake lobes and one exhaust lobe on the camshaft with their corresponding tappet body faces were severely spalled. Metal was found throughout the engine.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N54394
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7425119
- Airframe hours
- 2,682
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E3D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert St. George
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · December 12, 1987 · 164 hours before
- Departed
- HWN · Shirley, NY
- Destination
- POV · Poughkepsie, NY
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 421 total · 369 in this make and model · 378 as pilot in command · 83 in the last 90 days · 17 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 0° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.