Piper PA-31-350 N41045

Summary

On 3 April 1982 at about 00:15 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N41045, operated by Moore Data Systems, Inc., was involved in an incident near Tallahassee, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

3 April 1982 at 00:15

Classification

Incident

Location

Tallahassee, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Tallahassee Municipal (TLH)

Coordinates

30.4306, -84.2610

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N41045

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Moore Data Systems, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Executive/Corporate

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sarasota → Baton Rouge

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA82IA110

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

WHILE CRUISING AT 8000 FEET, THE RIGHT ALTERNATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND THE PILOT ACCOMPLISHED THE REQUIRED PROCEDURES FOR AN ALTERNATOR FAILURE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE NOTICED AN AREA OF DISCOLORATION ON THE INBOARD NACELLE OF THE RIGHT ENGINE AND SAW FLAMES INSIDE THE NACELLE. THE PILOT SECURED THE ENGINE, DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND MADE A SINGLE ENGINE LANDING AT TALLAHASSEE, FL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A BROKEN TURBOCHARGER EXHAUST CLAMP WHICH ALLOWED THE EXHAUST TUBE TO SEPARATE FROM THE TURBO. HIGH TEMPERATURE EXHAUST GASES THEN STARTED THE FIRE WHICH DISABLED THE ALTERNATOR WIRING. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THIS CLAMP AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT HAD FAILED INDICATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE DUE TO HIGH TEMPERATURE EMBRITTLEMENT. THE LACK OF HIGH TEMPERATURE DUCTILITY WAS ATTRIBUTED TO IMPROPER HEAT TREATMENT WHEN THE CLAMPS WERE MANUFACTURED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.