Piper PA-46-310P N121GP

Summary

On 15 July 1999 at about 17:55 local time, a Piper PA-46-310P registered N121GP was involved in an incident near Belmar, New Jersey, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 July 1999 at 17:55

Classification

Incident

Location

Belmar, New Jersey, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Piper PA-46-310P

Registration

N121GP

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Mt Holly → Boston

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC99IA175

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the turbocharger clamp, resulting from improper welding settings during manufacture.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

After takeoff, when the airplane was climbing through 12,000 feet, heavy black smoke appeared in the cockpit. The pilot declared an emergency, and successfully landed the airplane at a nearby airport. Post-flight inspection revealed that the left side turbocharger clamp had separated through the tensioning band, at the root of a spot weld. Subsequent microscopic examination in the area around the rim of the spot weld revealed a crystalline appearance. An analysis of a spot weld from the right turbocharger clamp revealed small recrystallized austenitic grains. The airplane's engine was installed in March 1991, and the turbochargers were replaced in June 1999. During the replacement, the turbocharger clamps were reused. The only requirement to change the turbocharger clamps was a mandatory replacement at engine overhaul.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.