Piper PA-32R N8159S

Summary

On 12 August 1987 at about 22:20 local time, a Piper PA-32R registered N8159S was involved in an accident near Mexia, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

12 August 1987 at 22:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Mexia, Texas, United States

Coordinates

31.6694, -96.4795

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R

Registration

N8159S

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Purpose of flight

Unknown

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Houston → Dallas

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW87FA197

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

THE PLT NOTICED SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT & STARTED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT MEXIA, TX, WHICH WAS NEARBY. HOWEVER, DRG THE DSCNT TO LND, THE SMOKE DISSIPATED, SO HE ELECTED TO CONT TO THE DESTN. DRG THE CLIMB BACK TO ALT, SMOKE REAPPEARED & WAS FOLLOWED BY LOSS OF ENG POWER. THE PLT THEN TRIED TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG AT MEXIA; HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT ALT TO REACH THE ARPT. WHILE LNDG ABOUT 1 MI FROM THE ARPT, THE ACFT ROLLED THRU A BARBED WIRE FENCE & WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED A RETAINING NUT WAS MISSING FROM A CLAMP NEAR 2 MATING SURFACES OF THE EXHAUSTSYS NEAR THE #6 CYLINDER. SUBSEQUENTLY, GASES FROM THE EXHAUST SYS BURNED THRU A VACUUM HOSE & EXTENSIVELY BURNED A NUMBER OF WIRES IN THE IGNITION SYS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN 176 HRS SINCE THE LAST ENG & AIRFRAME INSPN.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.