- Date
- July 12, 1991, 20:02 local (Jul 13, 1991, 00:02 UTC)
- Place
- Yarmouth, MA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N36272Piper PA-32RT-300T
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 14, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19910712027389A
- Case key
- 36800
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 failure of the number one cylinder fuel injector line due to fatigue cracking induced by corrosion and propagated by cyclic loading which resulted in a total loss of engine power. The corrosion was due to the manufacturer's process of brazing the metal joint, and the cyclic loading was due to the absence of a clamp to minimize the effect of vibration. A contibuting factor was the lack of suitable terrain during the subsequent forced landing.
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
After receiving clearance to land, the pilot called that he was in trouble and was going down. Witnesses saw the airplane at a low altitude, and heard the engine sputtering and then quit. The left wing struck a tree; the airplane impacted the ground and was completely destroyed by the post crash fire. Engine teardown revealed that the cylinder #1 fuel injector line had failed at the outer diameter (od) surface at the manifold end near the b-nut fitting. Metallurgical examination indicated that the separation was due to fatigue cracking that originated at the od surface of the tube at the edge with the brazed filler metal. Intergranular corrosion was observed at the fracture origin which occurred during manufacture, when the line was sensitized near the brazing joint. There was no evidence of clamping of the tube at midpoint per the engineering drawing.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N36272
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32RT-300T (PA-32RT-30)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32R-7887030
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John & Mary Santoin
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 4, 1991 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MUY · Marthas Vineyar, MA
- Destination
- Hyannis, MA
- Airport
- HYA · Barnstable Muni, runway 24, 5,430 × 150 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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,260 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HYA, 1 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 N36272 · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.