Piper PA-28R-201T N3035M

Summary

On 11 November 1982 at about 07:37 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N3035M, operated by Flight East, Inc., was involved in an accident near Coaling, California, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

11 November 1982 at 07:37

Classification

Accident

Location

Coaling, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N3035M

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Flight East, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Hayward → Burbank

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

LAX83FA033

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE PILOT REPORTED THAT DURING FLIGHT, THE ENGINE STARTED MISSING, THEN LOST 10 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE. HE IMMEDIATELY POSITIONED THE MIXTURE TO FULL RICH, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND STARTED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO WORSEN. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THE OIL PRESSURE WENT TO ZERO AND THE ENGINE QUIT. THE PILOT RECEIVED RADAR VECTORS THROUGH CLOUDS TOWARD THE NEAREST AIRPORT, BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO GLIDE THAT FAR. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PLANE CRASH LANDED IN AN OPEN FIELD. A TEARDOWN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE #5 PISTON HAD SUSTAINED PRE- IGNITION/DETONATION BURN THROUGH OF THE RING BELT STRUCTURE BETWEEN THE LOWER SPARK PLUG AND EXHAUST VALVE POSITIONS. THE #5 CONNECTING ROD HAD OVERHEATED TO BEARING DESTRUCTION. EITHER THE CRANKPIN END OF THE ROD OR THE RELEASE CAP HAD RUPTURED THE CASE. THE FUEL PUMP IDLE ADJUSTMENT AND ANEROID HAD BEEN SET TO HIGH PRESSURE (LEAN) AND THE FUEL CONTROL NEEDLE VALVE HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TO HIGH FLOW. THESE SETTING WOULD CAUSE PREIGNITION/DETONATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.