Piper PA-28-140 N6887W

Summary

On 30 June 2000 at about 18:44 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N6887W was involved in an accident near Kennewick, Washington, 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

30 June 2000 at 18:44

Classification

Accident

Location

Kennewick, Washington, United States

Coordinates

46.2101, -119.1604

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N6887W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Walla Walla → Hood River

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

SEA00LA119

1 person had minor injuries.

A failure in the engine's number 1 piston, resulting in a total loss of engine power. Factors included the aircraft windshield being covered with oil (restricting forward visibility), a road sign, and a ditch beside the road on which the forced landing was performed.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

About 30 minutes after takeoff, while cruising at 6,500 feet, the engine began to lose RPM and subsequently stopped. The pilot was able to restart the engine, but oil then started coming from under the cowling. The pilot shut the engine down and performed a forced landing on a road. As the windshield was covered with oil, the pilot's forward visibility was impaired during the forced landing. During the landing roll, the aircraft's left wing struck a road sign that the pilot could not see, causing the aircraft to leave the road. The aircraft came to rest in a ditch beside the road. A post-accident examination of the aircraft's engine revealed damage to the number 1 piston, with the wrist pin brass plug missing. A hole in the top of the engine crankcase was also observed at this location, which the examination report stated was 'probably caused by [the] brass plug being pushed out by [the] crank shaft lobe.' The engine, a Lycoming O-320-E2A, had 1,649 hours since overhaul at the time of the accident and had received an annual signoff 8 months and 27 flight hours before the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.