Piper PA-32RT N1978J

Summary

On 1 March 1995 at about 23:30 local time, a Piper PA-32RT registered N1978J was involved in an accident near Joliet, Illinois, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

1 March 1995 at 23:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Joliet, Illinois, United States

Coordinates

41.5201, -88.1203

Aircraft

Piper PA-32RT

Registration

N1978J

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Chicago → Bloomington

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI95LA097

Nobody was injured.

the failure of the number four cylinder due to a loose cylinder hold down stud. A factor in the accident was the embankment.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT STATED HE BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT AND EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL EXCEPT THE FUEL FLOW WAS LOW. AT THIS TIME HE ADVANCED THE THROTTLE, SWITCHED FUEL TANKS, AND TURNED THE FUEL BOOST PUMP ON. THE PILOT STATED HE THEN HEARD A 'BANG' FROM THE ENGINE AND ALL ENGINE POWER WAS LOST. THE PILOT MADE A FORCED LANDING ON AN ACCESS ROAD ADJACENT TO A HIGHWAY. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THE NUMBER FOUR CYLINDER HAD SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKCASE. FRACTURES OF THE CYLINDER HOLD DOWN STUDS SHOWED NO CLEAR EVIDENCE OF FATIGUE CRACKING. FRACTURES ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF OVERSTRESS SEPARATIONS. FRETTING DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED ON THE MATING CYLINDER FLANGE, CRANKCASE BOSS, AND METAL FOLDS ON THE CYLINDER FLANGE/HOLE WALL CORNERS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.