Piper PA-32R-301 N192SP

Summary

On 21 September 2001 at about 22:56 local time, a Piper PA-32R-301 registered N192SP, operated by Michael L. Oatman, was involved in an accident near Waco, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

21 September 2001 at 22:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Waco, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Waco Regional Airport (ACT)

Coordinates

31.5499, -97.1395

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-301

Registration

N192SP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Michael L. Oatman

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

McGregor → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW01LA208

Nobody was injured.

the mechanic's failure to perform an airworthiness directive, which resulted in the loss of engine oil through a partially failed oil filter converter plate gasket, and subsequent engine failure during takeoff climb. A contributing factor was 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 airplane had departed the runway and was climbing at 90 knots when the engine/propeller rpm began to over speed. The pilot attempted to adjust the propeller control; however, there was no change in rpm. The airplane lost altitude and impacted trees near the departure end of the runway. Examination of the wreckage revealed that the #6 connecting rod had failed, there was no oil present in the engine, and the oil filter converter plate was missing remnants of its gasket. An Airworthiness Directive (AD) was issued that addressed the oil filter converter plate gasket on engines that had been factory remanufactured after April 1, 1999. The AD required the replacement of the oil filter converter plate gasket before further flight on engines with more than 50 hours time since new, times since overhaul, or time since the last replacement of the gasket or converter plate, and thereafter every 50 hours time in service since the last replacement of the gasket. Non compliance with the AD could result in the protruding or swelling of the converter plate gasket and subsequent loss of engine oil. The engine had been factory remanufactured on May 5, 2000, and had accumulated approximately 376.2 hours since this remanufacture when the accident occurred. Examination of the engine maintenance records revealed that the AD had not been complied with since the engine's remanufacture.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.