Piper PA-28-180 N779VM

Summary

On 13 July 1985 at about 20:30 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N779VM was involved in an accident near Franklin, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

13 July 1985 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Franklin, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.1796, -83.3805

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N779VM

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Huntsville → Norfolk

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL85LA217

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 IN CRUISE FLT ENG RPM DECREASED. PLT ACTIONS TO RECOVER RPM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND ENG EVENTUALLY QUIT. A FORCED LANDING WAS MADE TO AN EMPTY FLD. ON ROLL OUT THE ACFT HIT A CONCEALED DITCH RESULTING IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. LATER, EXMINATION OF THE ENG SHOWED THAT THE #3 EXHAUST VALVE HAD SEIZED IN A PARTIALLY OPEN POSITION AND THE CORRESPONDING PUSHROD WAS BROKEN. THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT THE VALVE HAD NOT BEEN SEATED FOR SOME TIME WITH CARBON BUILDUP ON THE VALVE AND VALVE SEAT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.