Piper PA32-300 N2881U
20 November 1998 · New Iberia, Louisiana, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 20 November 1998 at about 14:30 local time, a Piper PA32-300 registered N2881U was involved in an accident near New Iberia, Louisiana, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- New Iberia, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 29.9997, -91.8099
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32-300
- Registration
- N2881U
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- New Iberia → New Orleans
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- IMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- FTW99LA032
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The mechanic's failure to properly torque the connecting rod's bolt and nut during engine overhaul. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The airplane's engine experienced a catastrophic failure during cruise climb. The airplane impacted a tree and fence during the forced landing near a residential area. The airplane's maintenance records revealed that the engine had been overhauled on August 20, 1991, and had accumulated 1,423.49 hours since then. Examination of the engine revealed that the number 6 connecting rod had failed in 'overload' and was a 'secondary failure.' One of the connecting rod's bolt and nut assemblies was then examined. The nut was cut and split in the threaded area. The first two threads of the nut, adjacent to the contact surface, were found 'stripped.' Additionally, 'no scuff marks were observed' on the copper plating in the undamaged portion of the nut contact surface. It was determined that the two stripped threads were the result of the nut backing off during operation, and the lack of a scuff mark on the nut's contact surface was the result of it being improperly torqued during installation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Dec 1996 | Piper PA32-300D | Reform, Alabama, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Jul 2000 | Piper PA32-300 | Staniel Cay, Bahamas | Stewart G. Donaldson | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 Feb 2001 | Piper PA32-R-301T | Haslet, Texas, United States | Hest Aviation | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Aug 2002 | Piper PA32-300 | Chatham, Massachusetts, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 May 2003 | Piper PA32-260 | Huntington, West Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 2004 | Piper PA32-300 | Montauk, New York, United States | Mark R. Gosden | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Jan 1998 | Piper PA-32-300 | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 23 Feb 1998 | Cessna 210M | Lafayette, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 1998 | Piper PA-28-180 | Monroe, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 1998 | Cessna 150H | Braithwaite, Louisiana, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1998 | Cessna 210M | Leesville, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 1 Mar 1998 | Piper PA-32-300 | Rayville, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |