Piper PA-28-140 N32142

Summary

On 20 May 1997 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N32142, operated by Lester S. Hall, was involved in an accident near Hysham, Montana, 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

20 May 1997 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Hysham, Montana, United States

Coordinates

45.9998, -107.1202

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N32142

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Lester S. Hall

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Miles City → Billings

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA97LA116

1 person had minor injuries.

A failure of an engine exhaust valve and the pilot's misjudgement of altitude/distance during an emergency landing at an airstrip.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that while in cruise flight, he heard a 'pop' from the engine and then felt a vibration. The engine lost partial power and the pilot tried to troubleshoot to find the problem. The pilot was unable to identify the problem and maneuvered the airplane to a nearby airstrip. The pilot stated that he tried twice to land on the 2,950-foot-long airstrip, however, each time the airplane's altitude was too high. The pilot opted to divert to an open field where he maneuvered the airplane to avoid obstructions. During the landing, the landing gear was sheared off and the wings were structurally damaged. During the postcrash inspection of the engine, the number three exhaust valve was found broken at the neck. The head of the valve was found lodged in the exhaust manifold.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.