You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.
| Date: | Monday 30 October 2017 |
| Time: | 08:26 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N4213F |
| MSN: | 32R-7680432 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1976 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5527 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO540-K165D |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Dawson County, Atlanta Motorsports Park, Dawsonville, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Gainesville, GA (GVL) |
| Gary, IN (GYY) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight and reported that, while the airplane was climbing after takeoff, the engine began to run roughly and lose power. The pilot began a descent for an emergency landing and, during the descent, he sensed a “bad” engine vibration, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot selected an area on an asphalt-covered automobile racetrack to make a forced landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s wings and fuselage.
A postaccident engine examination revealed a crack in the accessory case and a large hole in the crankcase near the No. 6 cylinder pad. A subsequent internal examination revealed damage to the engine’s internal components, including the main bearings and the No. 6 connecting rod, that was consistent with oil exhaustion.
The airplane was equipped with a remotely mounted oil filter. A B-nut on one of the oil filter lines was found to be loose with about 2 ½ threads showing. The B-nut was tightened by hand and rotated about 1 ¾ turns, which resulted in about ½ thread showing.
The pilot stated that he was not an airframe and powerplant mechanic but that he had replaced the oil line about 1 week before the accident. The accident flight was the first flight after that maintenance.
Probable Cause: The failure of the pilot, who was not a certified mechanic, to tighten the B-nut on a remotely mounted oil filter line, which resulted in oil exhaustion, a total loss of oil pressure, and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N4213F
Location
Images:
Media:
BREAKING: Small plane crash at Atlanta Motorsports Park in Dawson County. Working on getting details. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/EdzElWBxnB
— Aaron Diamant (@AaronDiamantWSB) 30 oktober 2017
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Oct-2017 15:17 | gerard57 | Added |
| 30-Oct-2017 15:19 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Embed code, ] |
| 30-Oct-2017 15:47 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 30-Oct-2017 17:09 | Geno | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Oct-2017 20:16 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Photo, ] |
| 28-Nov-2018 14:45 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2025 Flight Safety Foundation