Piper PA 28RT-201T N2175K

Summary

On 29 September 2015 at about 16:00 local time, a Piper PA 28RT-201T registered N2175K was involved in an accident near Dawson Springs, Kentucky, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 September 2015 at 16:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Dawson Springs, Kentucky, United States

Nearest airport

Tradewater Airport (8M7)

Coordinates

37.1858, -87.6750

Aircraft

Piper PA 28RT-201T

Registration

N2175K

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Foley → Ownesboro

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15LA377

1 person was seriously injured.

The fatigue failure of a crankshaft counterweight, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during cruise flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot of the single-engine airplane was conducting an instrument flight rules flight. The pilot reported that, when the airplane was in cruise flight at 7,000 ft mean sea level, he heard two loud bangs, followed by a total loss of engine power, pieces of the engine exiting the cowling, and oil covering the windscreen. The pilot attempted to divert to another airport; however, after descending through a low cloud layer, he could not visually locate the turf runway, so he performed a forced landing to a field. Teardown examination of the engine revealed that a rear crankshaft counterweight had separated and that the adjacent (No. 2) connecting rod had separated at the connecting rod bolts. Metallurgical examination of the counterweight revealed fatigue cracking that had originated at the counterweight aft blade surface near a bushing hole, consistent with a loose bushing moving in the hole over a prolonged period of time. A review of maintenance records revealed that the engine had been operated for about 1,130 hours since its last overhaul, which was completed about 19 years before the accident; the engine was 7 years beyond the 12-year recommended time between overhaul (TBO). The engine manufacturer had previously issued a service bulletin, which included a warning that the improper installation of bushings during overhaul could cause engine failure. Although the failure mode evidence was consistent with a loose bushing, it was not likely due to improper installation given that the engine had operated for almost 7 years beyond its 12-year recommended TBO. If the engine had been overhauled at the recommended time, all of the bushings would have been required to be replaced with new bushings.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.