Piper PA-28 N5067W

Summary

On 29 March 2022 at about 19:00 local time, a Piper PA-28 registered N5067W was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

29 March 2022 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Melbourne, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Melbourne Orlando Internationa (MLB)

Coordinates

28.1423, -80.6577

Aircraft

Piper PA-28

Registration

N5067W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1961

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Positioning

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Okeechobee → Lumberton

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA172

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to oil starvation as a result of the failure of the No. 3 crankshaft journal bearing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot/mechanic was hired to perform a pre-buy inspection of the airplane and then fly it cross-county to the new owner. During the inspection, he noted that the cylinders had been replaced and was told by the seller that the break-in for the new cylinders was not completed. The pilot stated that he “knew that it was going to be a risky flight home,” but decided to proceed with the flight. Observing no anomalies, he departed on course, and about 45 minutes into the flight, he noticed that the engine was running rough and the oil pressure was low. He notified air traffic control and turned back to the nearest airport to land. The engine continued to run rough, so he shut the engine down and thought he could glide to the runway. Once he realized that the airplane would not reach the runway, he maneuvered to land in a parking lot, during which the airplane impacted telephone wires and came to rest inverted. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 3 crankshaft journal bearing was pitted and smeared, and that two of the engine’s connecting rods had fractured. The condition of the bearing likely blocked the passage of oil through the engine, resulting in oil starvation that would have led to increased heat and ultimately the observed connecting rod failure.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.