Piper PA32 N2104J

Summary

On 15 September 2022 at about 03:00 local time, a Piper PA32 registered N2104J was involved in an accident near Afton, Virginia, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 September 2022 at 03:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Afton, Virginia, United States

Coordinates

37.9851, -78.7168

Aircraft

Piper PA32

Registration

N2104J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1979

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Martinsville → Smoketown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

ERA22FA418

1 person died.

A catastrophic engine failure due to oil starvation, which resulted in a total loss of engine power at night over mountainous terrain.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During a night cross-country flight over remote mountainous terrain, the pilot reported a total loss of engine power to air traffic control. He attempted to glide to a nearby airport, but the airplane impacted trees about 15 miles from the airport. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft could not be rotated by hand and about 1 quart of oil remained in the sump. No oil was observed on the ramp at the departure airport and no oil streaks were observed on the airframe, but postimpact fire consumed a majority of the airframe. Teardown examination of the engine revealed that the Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6, connecting rods likely failed as a result of oil starvation. A crack was noted in the oil sump, but metallurgical examination revealed overstress features consistent with impact forces and thermal stress, indicating that the damage was likely sustained during impact; no fatigue was observed. Due to fire and impact damage, the investigation could not determine the reason for the oil starvation/loss that ultimately resulted in the loss of engine power.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.