Piper PA-28R-201T N2541Q

Summary

On 2 October 1983 at about 03:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N2541Q was involved in an accident near Smithville, Texas, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

2 October 1983 at 03:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Smithville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Smithville Muni (84R)

Coordinates

29.9991, -97.1504

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N2541Q

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Brady → Spring

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night/Dark

NTSB number

FTW84LA003

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

DURING CRUISE AT 8,500 FT MSL THE ENG QUIT. A NIGHT EMERGENCY LANDING WAS MADE AT AN ARPT THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST FLOWN OVER. ON FINAL APPROACH THE PLT COULD NOT SEE THRU THE WINDSHIELD VERY WELL DUE TO OIL BUILDING UP ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE PLT HELD THE GEAR UP UNTIL A LANDING ON THE RWY WAS ASSURED. AFTER CROSSING A ROAD IN FRONT OF THE RWY THE PLT STARTED THE GEAR DOWN. THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME FOR THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR & NOSE GEAR TO LOCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN 366 FT BEYOND THE THRESHOLD. ENG TEARDOWN & METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE #4 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. SEM VIEWING OF THE ORIGIN AREA REVEALED A SINGLE FATIGUE INITIATION SITE AT A CHANGE IN CONTOUR ON THE FLANGE END. THE IRREGULAR CONTOUR WAS NOT FOUND AT THE OTHER 3 FLANGE ENDS. ALSO, OXIDE INCLUSIONS & FORGING DEFECTS WERE FOUND ALONG THE ORIGINAL ROD SURFACE.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.