Piper PA-28-235 N8805W

Summary

On 9 May 2005 at about 22:40 local time, a Piper PA-28-235 registered N8805W was involved in an accident near Lowell, Idaho, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 May 2005 at 22:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Lowell, Idaho, United States

Coordinates

46.0267, -115.5650

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-235

Registration

N8805W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Jackson Hole → Pasco

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA05FA097

1 person was seriously injured.

The number four exhaust valve sticking in the open position during cruise flight. Factors include the pilot's failure to have an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic look at the engine after it had run rough immediately after start-up prior to this and a number of other flights, and no suitable terrain and a dense forest in the area where the loss of engine power occurred.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight, the aircraft's engine began to lose power, resulting in the pilot being unable to maintain his assigned altitude. Eventually the engine quit, and the pilot was forced to attempt a controlled crash in heavily forested mountainous terrain. A post-accident inspection determined that the number four exhaust valve had stuck in the fully open position, and that there was a build-up of valve guide material on the valve stem. An inspection of the aircraft logs revealed that the valve guides and stems had not been inspected in accordance with Lycoming Mandatory Service Bulletin 388C (not mandatory for aircraft operating under part 91) at the recommended 400 hour interval. It was also determined that the engine had been displaying symptoms typical of intermittent valve sticking (rough running for a few seconds immediately after start-up) prior to the accident flight and a number of other prior flights. The pilot, who was unaware that the rough running was possibly associated with sticking valves, had not taken the aircraft to an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic to determine the reason for the symptom.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.