- Date
- June 28, 1995, 08:20 local (12:20 UTC)
- Place
- Morehead, KY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N16WWPiper PA-24-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 16, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950628015559A
- Case key
- 38979
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 pilot's failure to assure that an inadequate oil supply was available fot the flight.
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 pilot stated that while at a cruise altitude of 4,500 feet MSL the 'annunciator lights started blinking and then became solid.' He then noted that the oil pressure 'needle registered no oil.' The engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land at the nearest airport. The airplane touched down halfway down a 2,600-foot runway which had high obstructions at the approach end. The pilot was unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, skidded across grass with heavy dew and impacted a back porch of a mobile home. Examination of the engine revealed it was depleted of oil. The engine teardown revealed that both compression rings on the number two cylinder were fractured in several pieces; the camshaft was engraved with the wording 'not a certified part;' and all eight rod bolt nuts were installed upside down. The engine records revealed that the last engine overhaul was on 7/5/92.
Factual narrative
On June 28, 1995, about 0820 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-24-180, N16WW, collided with a mobile home after a forced landing at the Morehead-Rowan County Airport (I32), Morehead, Kentucky. The airplane was substantially damaged. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The personal flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
While en route from Huntington, West Virginia to Broomfield, Colorado, and at a cruise altitude of 4500 feet mean sea level, the pilot stated that the "annunciator lights started blinking and then became solid." The pilot then noted that the oil pressure "needle registered no oil." The engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land at I32. The airplane touched halfway down runway 23, which had high obstructions at the approach end, and was 2600 feet long and 75 feet wide. The pilot stated she was unable to stop the airplane on the remaining runway, skidded across "low grass with a heavy dew" and impacted with the back porch of a mobile home.
The FAA examined the engine at the accident site and observed that it was depleted of oil. The engine was disassembled on July 14, 1995. The following discrepancies were noted by the FAA Inspector during the disassembly: Both compression rings on number two (2) cylinder were fractured in several pieces; the camshaft was engraved with the wording "Not a certified part;" and all eight rod bolt nuts were installed upside-down.
The engine records, revealed that the last overhauled on the engine was on July 5, 1992.
The private pilot's total flight time was 1,400 hours, of which 200 hours were in this make and model airplane.
At the time of the accident the wind was variable, from 230 degrees.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N16WW
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-180
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Paul L. & Eddie E. Whistle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- HTS · Huntington, WV
- Destination
- LOU · Louisville, KY
- Airport
- I32 · Moorehead-Rowan, runway 23, 2,600 × 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
- 69
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 200 in this make and model · 1,300 as pilot in command · 28 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N16WW · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.