Piper PA-28-161 N2138J

Summary

On 15 December 1987 at about 01:58 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N2138J, operated by Alpine Aviation, was involved in an accident near Draper, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

15 December 1987 at 01:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Draper, Utah, United States

Coordinates

40.4904, -111.8392

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-161

Registration

N2138J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Alpine Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Salt Lake City → Provo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Bright

NTSB number

DEN88FA037

2 people died.

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

DRG A NGT FLT TO REPOSITION THE ACFT TO ITS HOME BASE, THE ENG LOST PWR AS THE PLT WAS CRUISING AT ABOUT 1000' AGL. HE TRANSMITTED A 'MAYDAY' CALL & MANEUVERED THE ACFT TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG ON AN INTERSTATE HIWAY. WHILE APCHG TO LND, THE ACFT STRUCK THE TOP (GROUND) WIRE OF A PWR LINE THAT CROSSED THE HIWAY IN THAT AREA. THE ACFT THEN FLIPPED OVER & FELL ON THE NORTHBOUND LANES OF THE HIWAY. A TEAR DOWN OF THE ENG REVEALED THE ACCESSORY DRIVE GEAR ATTACHING BOLT (PN: STD-847) HAD BACKED OUT, ALLOWING THE DRIVE GEAR TO LOOSEN. THIS RESULTED IN A LOSS OF SYNCHRONIZATION OF VALVE & IGNITION TIMING. AN INCORRECTLY SIZED HELI-COIL, USED TO REPAIR THE GEAR ATTACHING THREADS, WAS FOUND INSTALLED IN THE CRANKSHAFT.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.