Piper PA-46-310P N9298Y

Summary

On 27 November 2000 at about 05:13 local time, a Piper PA-46-310P registered N9298Y was involved in an accident near Gainesville, Texas, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

27 November 2000 at 05:13

Classification

Accident

Location

Gainesville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Gainesville Municipal (GLE)

Coordinates

33.6301, -97.1509

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-310P

Registration

N9298Y

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Oklahoma City → Addison

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW01LA026

1 person had minor injuries.

the loss of engine power due to improper splicing of the TIT thermocouple leads by unknown persons, which led to over temperature operation of the engine due to inaccurate TIT gauge readings. Contributing factors were the manufacturer's stamp on the top of the piston, which created a stress riser leading to fatigue cracking of the piston, 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

While in cruise on a night cross-country flight, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot attempted a forced landing to a nearby airport, however, the airplane touched down in a field short of the runway. The engine had accumulated 265.5 hours since factory remanufacture. During examination of the engine, the number 3 connecting rod was found separated from the crankshaft. The number 4 piston exhibited a hole burned through the crown structure of the piston. The hole was located along a crack that extended across the top of the piston, in-line with the piston pin. Metallurgical examination determined that fatigue cracking of the piston initiated from a stamp mark "4" on the top surface of the piston. The stamp mark, which was made by the manufacturer during engine buildup, acted as a stress raiser and was responsible for initiation of the crack. Once the crack extended to the interior surface of the piston, hot combustion gasses created the burn through hole and escaped into the crankcase, leading to engine failure. The accident airplane had experienced a previous in-flight engine failure in which an engine teardown revealed a piston with a burned through hole in the crown structure of the piston. This engine had accumulated 640 hours since factory remanufacture; however, this piston did not have any stamp marks on its top surface. The Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT) gauge, thermocouple, and probes were removed from the accident airplane, and the thermocouple leads were found spliced in two locations. According to the aircraft's maintenance manual, faulty thermocouple leads should be replaced. They should never be spliced, as this will change the resistance of the leads, which is critical for the proper operation of the TIT gauge. The pilot stated that he followed the leaning procedure in the airplane's operating handbook and leaned the engine by referencing the TIT gauge.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.