Piper PA-32-300 N32538

Summary

On 30 June 1984 at about 15:16 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N32538 was involved in an accident near Niceville, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

30 June 1984 at 15:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Niceville, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Ruckel (FL17)

Coordinates

30.5295, -86.4807

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N32538

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tyndall Afb → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA84FA196

1 person was seriously 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 ACFT CRASHED INTO TREES SHORT OF THE RWY AFTER THE ENGINE QUIT ON FINAL APPROACH. THE ENGINE FAILED FROM INTERNAL FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR RETENTION SYSTEM. A TEARDOWN REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR BOLT HAD BACKED OUT & THE BOLT HEAD WAS NOTED TO HAVE CONTACTED THE OIL PUMP DRIVE TANK. ALSO, THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT FOREIGN MATERIAL HAD PASSED THRU THE GEAR SYS. THE SOURCE OF THE MATERIAL WAS FROM SEVERELY SPALLED TAPPETS. THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR DOWEL PIN WAS SHEARED. SEVERAL CAMSHAFT LOBES WERE WORN WITH CORRESPONDING TAPPET FACE SPALLING. THE INITIAL SOURCE OF THE FAILURE MODE WAS NOT DETERMINED.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.