Piper PA 28-181 N8740E

Summary

On 19 July 2015 at about 20:20 local time, a Piper PA 28-181 registered N8740E was involved in an accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 July 2015 at 20:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Nearest airport

Henderson Exec (KHND)

Coordinates

35.9333, -115.1333

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-181

Registration

N8740E

Category

Airplane

Year built

1976

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Las Vegas → San Deigo

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR15LA217

4 people were seriously injured.

The engine's inability to produce full-rated power due to wear on internal engine components, which resulted in a loss of altitude and subsequent landing on uneven terrain. Contributing to the accident was the airplane owner's failure to maintain the engine in accordance with the manufacturer's recommended guidance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private pilot reported that the takeoff seemed normal, but once airborne, the airplane's climb was "sluggish," and the engine rpm was between 200 and 300 rpm lower than normal. He was able to maintain straight and level flight at 300 ft above ground level. When the pilot made a left turn in an attempt to return to the airport, the airplane immediately began to lose altitude. The pilot subsequently landed in an open construction site. During the landing sequence onto uneven terrain, the landing gear was torn off, and the airplane caught fire, which subsequently consumed the airplane. During postaccident examination of the engine, as the crankshaft was rotated by hand, the travel of the intake valve rockers was about 50% less than normal. Disassembly of the engine revealed wear on the intake lobes of the camshaft and spalling damage on the faces of the tappets. The decreased travel of the intake valves would have reduced the amount of fuel/air mixture allowed into each cylinder, which reduced the overall power the engine could produce. A review of maintenance records revealed that the engine was last overhauled 28 years before the accident and had accumulated 1,461 hours since overhaul. The engine manufacturer recommended that the engine be overhauled after 2,000 hours of operation or after 12 years, whichever occurred first.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.