Piper PA-24-180 N7931P
14 May 1997 · Yakkama City, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 14 May 1997 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA-24-180 registered N7931P, operated by Arlan Elroy Nuss, was involved in an accident near Yakkama City, Florida, United States. One person was 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Yakkama City, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 27.4893, -81.4506
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180
- Registration
- N7931P
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Arlan Elroy Nuss
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Stuart → Sarasota
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA97LA163
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
a complete loss of engine power due to the separation of the connecting rod bolts, resulting in a forced landing and impact with a tree. A factor in this accident was improper installation of the rod bolts by a mechanic.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The flight was about 25 miles east of the destination airport when the pilot reported that he 'heard maybe 2 seconds of ticking then complete engine failure. He spent about 10 to 15 seconds trying to stop the engine because he thought the engine would 'tear itself off the aircraft.' The pilot chose to make a forced landing in a field. One wing separated from the airplane when it collided with a tree on the approach, and the airplane traveled about 150 feet before it came to a stop. An engine teardown was performed under the supervision of the FAA, and revealed that all 4 connecting rod caps had come apart from their rods. The rod bolt nuts were found lying on the bottom of the oil pan. The investigation revealed that a mechanic had installed two (2) modified rod caps without the connecting rod assemblies, and without inspecting or servicing prior to installation on the engine. .
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-24 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Jun 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Powell River, Canada | Westbo, Leonard A. JR. | Serious injuries | - |
| 23 Mar 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Bowling Green, Ohio, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Farmington, New Mexico, United States | - | Fatal | 5 |
| 2 Aug 1997 | Piper PA-24-250 | Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 1997 | Piper PA-24-180 | Arthur City, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 7 Jan 1997 | Piper PA-24-260 | Winston, Montana, United States | Dakota Ridge Aviation, Inc. | Fatal | 3 |
All 2,700 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Apr 1997 | Cessna 152 | La Crosse, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Apr 1997 | Navion A | Quincy, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Apr 1997 | Diamond DA 20-A1 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Pelican Airways | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 1997 | Cessna 172N | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 1997 | Cessna 150M | Ormond Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 1997 | Bellanca 8GCBC | Bunnell, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |