- Date
- December 21, 1989, 10:35 local (15:35 UTC)
- Place
- Frenchtown, NJ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6894YPiper PA-60-602P
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891221052459A
- Case key
- 36519
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
The inadequate maintenance and inspection of the turbocharger tailpipe exhaust stack on the right engine by the mechanic(s). The failure of the tailpipe permitted heat from the exhaust to weaken the main spar of the right wing resulting in a catastrophic failure.
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
On January 16, 1989, machen nacelle mounted induction air intercoolers were installed on N6894Y. On December 14, 1989, an annual inspection was performed, and a machen superstar I-680 kit was installed. On December 21, 1989, N6894Y was at 6000 feet when the pilot reported a problem with the right engine. The pilot reported a fire in the right engine. A couple of minutes later, he radioed he could not shut down the right engine. At 1034:37 the pilot advised his 'right engine just tore off' and that he was 'in a spin heading down.' The exhaust tailpipe of the left turbocharger on the right engine was found to have separated. Metallurgical examination revealed the tailpipe failed due to fatigue cracking. Records showed that part I of Piper service bulletin 920 (engine tailpipe inspection) had been completed, while part ii (addition of fire detection system) had not been accomplished due to the lack of available kits.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6894Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-60-602P
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 62P0909816
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- In-Flight
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Walter V. Wicker, Jr
- Departed
- TEB · Teterboro, NJ
- Destination
- RDG · Reading, PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 45
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,061 total · 312 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- ABE, 15 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.