Piper PA32 N3957X

Summary

On 3 September 2018 at about 21:53 local time, a Piper PA32 registered N3957X was involved in an accident near Wrangell, Alaska, 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

3 September 2018 at 21:53

Classification

Accident

Location

Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

55.9689, -132.4230

Aircraft

Piper PA32

Registration

N3957X

Category

Airplane

Year built

1975

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ketchikan → Juneau

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC18LA069

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to oil starvation after an interruption of oil circulation for reasons that could not be determined based on the available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, while in level cruise flight, the engine rpm began to increase. Shortly after reducing the manifold pressure in an effort to correct for the high RPM, he noticed the engine oil pressure drop with oil visible on the airplane’s windscreen, followed by a total loss of engine power. He performed an emergency landing near the high tide line in an area of seagrass. During the emergency landing the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing. Examination of the engine revealed a large fracture hole at the Nos. 4- and 5-cylinder pads. The Nos. 4 and 5 connecting rods were fragmented, and pieces of the connecting rods and a large amount of metal debris was located within the engine. A large amount of metal contamination was present in the oil suction screen. The Nos. 4 and 5 connecting rods and rod bearing journals exhibited extensive mechanical damage and signatures consistent with exposure to extreme high heat. The damage to the internal engine components, the large amount of metal contamination in the oil screen, and the significant metal debris inside the engine were all consistent with a catastrophic engine failure due to a lack of lubrication. The source of the interruption of oil circulation to the engine could not be determined after engine disassembly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.