Piper PA-25-235 N7339Z

Summary

On 27 August 2009 at about 13:00 local time, a Piper PA-25-235 registered N7339Z was involved in an accident near Bainbridge, Georgia, United States. One person was 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

27 August 2009 at 13:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Bainbridge, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

30.9714, -84.6375

Aircraft

Piper PA-25-235

Registration

N7339Z

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bainbridge → Bainbridge

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA09LA490

Nobody was injured.

A total loss of engine power due to the loss of camshaft timing as a result of the displacement of the idler gear assembly.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was performing a training aerial application over a farm field when the engine lost power and the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, where the airplane impacted a tree. A subsequent examination of the engine revealed that within the accessory section, the idler gear assembly, which normally transferred power from the crankshaft to the left magneto and the camshaft, had been displaced. The short shaft had also been displaced. The mounting plate retaining screws appeared to be sheared. The crankcase surface area around the screw hole exhibited rotational scoring, and the idler gear, located in the oil sump, had no missing or damaged gear teeth. Metal particles were found in the bottom of the crankcase and oil sump. The engine operating time was below the recommended time between overhaul. The failure sequence could not be determined, and although the left magneto had been replaced approximately 12 flight hours prior, the replacement of the magneto could not be correlated to the displacement of the idler gear assembly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.