Piper PA-28R-201T N36025

Summary

On 1 June 1994 at about 13:40 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T registered N36025, operated by Rainbow Air, was involved in an accident near Trinity Center, California, United States. 2 people were 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

1 June 1994 at 13:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Trinity Center, California, United States

Nearest airport

Trinity Center (O86)

Coordinates

41.0501, -122.7804

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201T

Registration

N36025

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Rainbow Air

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Medford → Long Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dawn

NTSB number

LAX94LA233

1 person had minor injuries.

the fatigue fracture of the crankshaft due to improper maintenance installation of the number 1 cylinder and the inadequate torquing of the case through bolts at that location.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said that he heard a grinding noise in the engine followed by a prop overspeed. Then the engine suddenly lost all power. ARTCC provided radar vectors to nearest airport and the pilot set up for a dead stick approach; however, he was unable to make the runway. The aircraft touched down gear up in a ditch, bounced out and onto parking lot, then crashed into a parked aircraft. Disassembly of the engine revealed fretting on the parting surfaces of the number 1 main bearing saddle. The crankshaft was found fatigue fractured across the number 1 crankpin at the interface with the number 2 long cheek. One rod end cap nut was found without a cotter pin installed. The second rod end cap nut was found with a shorter than normal cotter pin installed. The number 1 connecting rod bearing was found partially swaged out of the rod, with fretting observed on the bearing surfaces. The side faces of connecting rod number 1 were scored. The engine records revealed that cylinders number 1 and 4 were replaced on May 9, 1994, 29 hours prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.