Piper PA-24-250 N5221P

Summary

On 27 December 1995 at about 22:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-250 registered N5221P was involved in an accident near Kaufman, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 December 1995 at 22:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Kaufman, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.5792, -96.2992

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-250

Registration

N5221P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Terrell → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW96LA078

2 people were seriously injured.

THE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A BENT PUSH ROD AND THE RESULTANT LOSS OF OIL. FACTORS WERE THE COCKPIT SMOKE AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR THE FORCED LANDING.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE ENGINE 'STARTED TO RUN ROUGH' AND SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT. DURING THE DOWNWIND APPROACH TO A FIELD, FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS LIMITED BY THE SMOKE. ON SHORT FINAL, THE PILOT OBSERVED A FENCE ACROSS THE LANDING AREA AND 'PULLED THE YOKE ALL THE WAY BACK.' FOLLOWING THE HARD LANDING, THE AIRPLANE TRAVELED THROUGH THE FENCE. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED, AND THE ENGINE FUSELAGE AND WINGS WERE DAMAGED. ENGINE OIL WAS FOUND ON THE ENGINE COWLING AND IN THE AREA OF THE #4 CYLINDER. THE OIL SUMP CONTAINED APPROXIMATELY 1.5 QUARTS OF OIL. THE EXHAUST VALVE PUSH ROD AND THE PUSH ROD TUBE ON THE #4 CYLINDER WERE BENT AND WERE NO LONGER IN PLACE. ENGINE TIME SINCE THE LAST MAJOR OVERHAUL WAS 697.65 HOURS AND THE TIME SINCE THE LAST ANNUAL INSPECTION WAS 26 HOURS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.