Piper PA32 N33DW

Summary

On 8 November 2020 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA32 registered N33DW was involved in an accident near Circleville, Ohio, 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

8 November 2020 at 19:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Circleville, Ohio, United States

Coordinates

39.5241, -82.9817

Aircraft

Piper PA32

Registration

N33DW

Category

Airplane

Year built

1971

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN21LA049

Nobody was injured.

The total loss of engine power due to an accessory drive gear that backed out impeding the other gears.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the airplane’s engine experienced a total loss of power. Unable to restore engine power and at low altitude, the pilot performed a forced landing to a field. Examination of the engine found the accessory drive gears would not rotate when the propeller was turned. The reason the gears would not rotate was not located during that examination. After the airplane was released, a salvage facility performed a complete teardown of the engine and informed the pilot’s mechanic that one of the accessory drive gears appeared to have backed out which impeded the other gears. While likely this was the cause of the engine power loss, no further information and could not be obtained.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.