Piper PA-28RT-201T N2148J

Summary

On 29 May 2022 at about 20:27 local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T registered N2148J was involved in an accident near Morgan, Texas, 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

29 May 2022 at 20:27

Classification

Accident

Location

Morgan, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

W4 Ranch Airport (84TE)

Coordinates

31.9900, -97.5500

Aircraft

Piper PA-28RT-201T

Registration

N2148J

Category

Airplane

Year built

1978

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pampa → Houston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN22LA227

Nobody was injured.

A partial loss of engine power due to a corrosion-related fatigue crack of the No. 3 cylinder barrel.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While in cruise flight, the pilot observed the manifold pressure drop, followed by a loud rattling engine noise with strong vibrations. The pilot shut down the engine and diverted toward a nearby airport. The pilot reported that he thought the airplane was too high on the downwind leg; however, after he turned the airplane onto the final leg, he realized that the headwind would prevent him from making it to the runway. The pilot performed a forced landing into rough terrain short of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the right wing. Postaccident examination of the No. 3 cylinder revealed the cylinder barrel was fractured between the cooling fins and the threaded section used for mounting the cylinder head. A metallurgical examination revealed a fatigue crack that originated at a corrosion pit on the outer diameter surface of the cylinder barrel. The inboard-facing side of the first cylinder cooling fin was tinted black for a 180° arc, with the center of the arc in line with the fatigue crack. Manufacturer guidance includes inspection of cylinder fins for any signs of oil or soot leakage that might indicate a cylinder or head-to-barrel junction structural integrity breach. The engine was operated about 30 hours since the last annual inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.