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| Date: | Wednesday 18 January 1989 |
| Time: | 08:30 |
| Type: |  Piper PA-28-140 |
| Owner/operator: | private |
| Registration: | N8456R |
| MSN: | 28-22358 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2318 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-E2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 3 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Bagley, AL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Walls, MS (2M6) |
| Eufaula, AL (EUF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
ACCORDING TO THE SURVIVING PASSENGER, A PARTIAL LOSS OF PWR OCCURRED DRG FLT & THE PLT TRIED TO LAND IN A FIELD, BUT THEFIELD WAS TOO SHORT & THE ACFT HIT TREES & CRASHED. DRG AN EXAM OF THE ENG, A METAL FRAGMENT WAS FND IN THE #3 CYLINDER.EVIDENCE OF FOREIGN OBJECT DMG (PEENING) WAS FND IN THE #2 & #3 COMBUSTION CHAMBERS & ON THEIR RESPECTIVE PISTON FACES. THE RESPECTIVE SPARK PLUGS WERE DMGD TO THE POINT THAT THEIR GROUND ELECTRODES HAD BECOME DISPLACED & SHORTED TO THE CENTER ELECTRODES. A METALLURGICAL EXAM OF THE FRAGMENT REVEALED IT WAS FM A BROKEN EXHAUST VALVE; HOWEVER, EXCEPT FOR PEENING, THE VALVES WERE INTACT. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE ENG HAD AN EXHAUST VALVE FAILURE IN 1980 & HAD FLOWN98 HRS SINCE THEN. PIECES OF THAT VALVE WERE NOT FND & WERE ASSUMED TO HAVE BEEN 'SPIT OUT' THRU THE EXHAUST SYS. DRG ANANNUAL INSPN ON 1/12/89, AN EXHAUST VALVE FRAGMENT WAS FND IN THE ENG MUFFLER. THE OWNER WAS NOTIFIED; THE EXHAUST PIPESWERE REMOVED & INSPECTED; NO OTHER FRAGMENTS WERE FND. THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH SHOULDER HARNESSES. CAUSE: INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE BY OTHER MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL WHICH ALLOWED A FOREIGN OBJECT TO REMAIN IN THE ENGINE AND DAMAGE/SHORT THE SPARK PLUGS IN THE #2 AND #3 CYLINDERS. TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA CONTRIBUTED TO THE ACCIDENT. IF SHOULDER HARNESSES HAD BEEN INSTALLED AND USED, INJURY(S) MAY HAVE BEEN LESS SEVERE.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/brief.asp?ev_id=20001213X27528
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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