Piper PA-22-160 N8119D

Summary

On 27 October 2022 at about 00:56 local time, a Piper PA-22-160 registered N8119D, operated by HAM Keith W, was involved in an accident near Kenai, Alaska, United States. 2 people were 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

27 October 2022 at 00:56

Classification

Accident

Location

Kenai, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

60.5423, -151.1982

Aircraft

Piper PA-22-160

Registration

N8119D

Category

Airplane

Year built

1957

Engines

1

Operator

HAM Keith W

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Kenai → Kenai

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC23LA005

Nobody was injured.

Improper installation of the crankshaft drive gear by maintenance personnel, who failed to install all required hardware, resulting in an in-flight engine failure.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the engine lost power and the propellor began to windmill. The flight instructor conducted emergency procedures but was unable to regain engine power. The flight instructor determined that they did not have sufficient altitude to make it back to the airport and he selected a road on which to make a forced landing. To avoid a car, the pilot turned slightly towards the edge of the road and was pulled into a snow berm, where the aircraft came to a full stop. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the engine found the crankshaft drive gear bolt was missing and the gear alignment dowel pin on the crankshaft was broken. The missing bolt was not found during the postaccident examination. The engine was last disassembled in 1983 and the accessory gearbox was opened for an oil pump rebuild in 2006; the investigation was not able to identify how long the engine had operated with the bolt missing. The crankshaft drive gear drives the accessory gear box and, according to the engine manufacturer, failure of the gear or the gear attaching parts would result in complete engine stoppage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.