Piper PA42-1000 N37KW
5 February 1999 · Lexington, Kentucky, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 5 February 1999 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA42-1000 registered N37KW was involved in an incident near Lexington, Kentucky, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:00
- Classification
- Incident
- Location
- Lexington, Kentucky, United States
- Nearest airport
- Blue Grass (LEX)
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA42-1000
- Registration
- N37KW
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wilmington → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- NYC99IA056
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Improper assembly of the engine gearcase by the manufacturer, which resulted in an uncontained failure of the 1st bull gear.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The during descent for landing, the airplane's right engine, a TPE331-14B, experienced an uncontained gearcase failure. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the gearcase was ruptured in the 1st bull gear's plane of rotation and that the 1st bull gear had a 90 degree arc of the rim and gear teeth separated. Metallurgical examination of the 1st bull gear revealed a fatigue fracture that had originated in the gear's bore splines. The fatigue originated in area where the spline thickness was significantly reduced by indentations on the pressure surface of the splines. Review of the engine's overhaul manual revealed a tie-rod was used to provide a clamping force between the spur gear and 1st bull gear. The assembly procedures required that the tie-rod be stretched with a load of 22,000 pounds, and then secured with a nut that was hand-tightened. During disassembly of the gearcase, it was not possible to determine the amount of stretch on the tie-rod, or the breakaway torque on the retaining nut. Maintenance records revealed that the gearcase was disassembled, and reassembled during repairs, which were performed by engine manufacturer.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA42 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2010 | Piper PA42 | Mercedes, Argentina | - | No injuries | - |
| 20 May 2010 | Piper PA42 | Jundiaí, Brazil | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 May 2012 | Piper PA42 | Grand Case, France | Transports Aeriens Intercaraibes | Fatal | 4 |
| 6 Aug 2018 | Piper PA42 | Contamana, Peru | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 2022 | Piper PA42 | Lewistown, Montana, United States | Babin Air | No injuries | - |
| 22 Dec 2024 | Piper PA42 | Gramado, Brazil | - | Fatal | 10 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 1999 | North American T6-G | Falmouth, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jun 1999 | American Eurocopter AS-350B | Ashcamp, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Feb 1999 | Cessna 152 | Sublett, Kentucky, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 Sep 1999 | McDonnell Douglas MD-88 | Covington, Kentucky, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 1999 | Sikorsky S-76A | Jackson, Kentucky, United States | Petroleum Helicopters | Fatal | 4 |
| 3 Apr 1999 | Cessna 310N | Cecilia, Kentucky, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |