Piper PA-24-400 N3983D
24 January 1985 · Helendale, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 January 1985 at about 23:45 local time, a Piper PA-24-400 registered N3983D was involved in an accident near Helendale, California, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.
The record
- Date
- at 23:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Helendale, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 34.7408, -117.3502
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-400
- Registration
- N3983D
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Boulder City → Lancaster
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX85FA122
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
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
SHORTLY AFTER INITIATING AN ENROUTE LETDOWN, THE ACFT EXPERIENCED A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE AT ABOUT 4,500 FT MSL. PLT SELECTED A ROAD FOR AN ATTEMPTED EMERGENCY LANDING, BUT A CAR TURNED ONTO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF HIM AND FORCED A DIVERSION TO A NEARBY FIELD. THE ACFT ENCOUNTERED BERMS, RUTS AND CLUMPS OF BUSHES AFTER TOUCHDOWN. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE NUMBER 6 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED NEAR THE CRANKSHAFT END WITH HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE EVIDENT OVER ABOUT 60% OF THE MATERIAL THICKNESS. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS DISCLOSED THAT SINCE MANUFACTURE IN 1964, THE ACFT HAD ACCRUED A TOTAL OF 1,299 HRS, WITH ONLY 109 HRS IN OPERATION SINCE 1976. LYCOMING PUBLICATIONS INDICATED THAT THE ROD HAD BEEN SUPERCEDED IN PRODUCTION SEVERAL TIMES, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PART NUMBER NOT ALLOWED FOR REUSE AT OVERHAUL. THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED OVERHAUL PERIOD IS 1,800 HRS OR 10 YEARS TIME IN SERVICE, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-24 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Feb 1985 | Piper PA-24-250 | Chantilly, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Aug 1985 | Piper PA-24-250 | Farmerville, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Nov 1985 | Piper PA-24-180 | Grandview, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 1985 | Piper PA-24-260 | Middletown, Delaware, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 May 1985 | Piper PA-24-250 | Bandon, Oregon, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 9 Feb 1985 | Piper PA-24-250 | Corona, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
All 2,700 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Mar 1985 | Mooney M20C | Apple Valley, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Mar 1985 | Cessna 152 | Shafter, California, United States | Air Center International, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1985 | Cessna 150 | Banning, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 1985 | Rotorway EXECUTIVE | El Monte, California, United States | Frank Louis Lillo | No injuries | - |
| 29 Mar 1985 | Piper PA-30 | Death Valley, California, United States | Underwood Assoc. Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 1985 | Cessna 414 | Eagle Mountain, California, United States | - | Unknown | - |