- Date
- March 28, 1991, 07:40 local (15:40 UTC)
- Place
- Chehalis, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N6044PPiper PA-24-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910328007789A
- Case key
- 41312
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
A loss of engine power due to an improper overhaul.
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
During a cross country flt, the eng lost pwr. During the emergency descent, the airplane collided with a building. The post crash eng inspection revealed that the crankshaft gear was not seated properly during the major overhaul, which resulted in the fatigue failure of the crankshaft dowel. Further research revealed that during the eng overhaul, a service bulletin was not complied with to install a crankshaft gear that was manufactured with three, three quartor inch radius scallops. These scallops allow for inspection of the gear and crankshaft assembly.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6044P
- Reported as
- Piper PA-24-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 24-1140
- Airframe hours
- 3,651
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1C5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders
- Registered owner
- Nichols Brothers Boatbuilders
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 14, 1990 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Destination
- 59S · Vancouver, WA
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 667 total · 18 in this make and model · 537 as pilot in command · 18 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TDO, 14 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 N6044P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.