Piper PA-46-350P N9170X

Summary

On 18 January 2003 at about 16:45 local time, a Piper PA-46-350P registered N9170X, operated by James Campagna, was involved in an accident near Laconia, New Hampshire, United States. 2 people were 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.

Date

18 January 2003 at 16:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Laconia, New Hampshire, United States

Nearest airport

Laconia Municipal Airport (LCI)

Coordinates

43.5725, -71.4189

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-350P

Registration

N9170X

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

James Campagna

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Islip → Laconia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD03LA028

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's loss of directional control during landing, which resulted in an impact with a snowbank, and overstress fracture of the nose gear actuator and engine mount foot attachment. A factor in the accident was the icy runway conditions.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the airplane touched down on the runway, it veered "dead left," slid off the runway, and impacted a snow pile. After landing, the pilot noticed that the runway was approximately 85% covered with ice approximately 1/4 - 1 inch thick. Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed an overstress fracture of the right foot of the engine mount, and the nose gear actuator lug. A portion of the fracture area also contained signatures indicative of a preexisting fatigue crack. The fatigue region was near but not directly adjacent to the toe of a weld portion of the foot, which was the subject of a Piper Service Bulletin. The Service Bulletin attributed cracks on the engine mount in the area of the nose gear actuator attach feet, to "excessive loads, possibly through hard landings, rough field operations, excessive speed turns and/or improper towing of the aircraft." The Service Bulletin required operators to inspect the engine mounts for cracks after every 100 hours of flight time, until the engine mount was replaced with a newer model which incorporated a one-piece foot at the nose gear actuator attach point. Examination of the aircraft logbooks revealed the Service Bulletin was complied with in April 2002, with no cracks observed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.