Piper PA-24-260 N8741P

Summary

On 10 August 2006 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper PA-24-260 registered N8741P was involved in an accident near Harrisburg, Nebraska, 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

10 August 2006 at 14:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Harrisburg, Nebraska, United States

Coordinates

41.5544, -103.7403

Aircraft

Piper PA-24-260

Registration

N8741P

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Garden City → Billings

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN06LA112

Nobody was injured.

The loss of engine power resulting from mechanical failure of a connecting rod for undetermined reasons. 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

While in cruise flight at an altitude of approximately 8,500 feet, the pilot heard a "loud bang," and the engine oil pressure decreased. Shortly thereafter, engine oil was noted on the windscreen, and the engine lost power. Subsequently, the pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. During the forced landing, the airplane impacted terrain and the nose and right main landing gears collapsed. Examination of the airplane revealed the right wing was buckled. A review of the maintenance records revealed that most recent annual inspection was completed on November 11, 2005, at a total airframe time of 3,358 hours. The engine had accumulated 257 hours since major overhaul and 49 hours since the annual inspection. No additional maintenance besides an oil change was performed on the engine since the November 11th inspection. Examination and disassembly of the engine revealed that connecting rods had been fractured and separated. The pistons were found separated from the connecting rods. The six pistons displayed cracks and fractures along the piston pin bosses, and mechanical damage was noted on the bottom side of the piston. The pistons were retained for further examination by the NTSB materials laboratory. The connecting rod and main bearings displayed evidence of discoloration and heat signatures. The crankshaft counterweights were separated from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination of two pistons revealed that fractures along the boss for the piston pin were consistent with overstress separation in a casting.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.