Piper PA-31-350 N41081

Summary

On 19 April 2000 at about 19:45 local time, a Piper PA-31-350 registered N41081, operated by Patton Aviatin Inc,., was involved in an accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 April 2000 at 19:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Rock Hill, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Rock Hill (U2A)

Coordinates

34.9853, -81.0589

Aircraft

Piper PA-31-350

Registration

N41081

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Patton Aviatin Inc,.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Summerville → Rock Hill

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL00LA042

Nobody was injured.

The maintenance personnel's failure to re-torque the engine driven fuel pump in accordance with an Airworthiness Directive that resulted in a fuel leak and a subsequent engine fire.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot of another airplane waiting for takeoff radioed the pilot of the accident airplane and told him that there was a fire on the right engine. The pilot of the accident airplane confirmed the fire and shut down the right engine. The engine fire was subsequently extinguished after airport officials used several hand-held fire extinguishers. The internal examination of the engine compartment showed fire damage in the vicinity of the engine driven fuel pump. Adjacent to the fuel pump assembly was a hydraulic supply line. Additional examination of the engine compartment disclosed that the hydraulic supply line was loose; the engine driven fuel pump was also loose. A review of the airframe and engine maintenance log books revealed that Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-18-12 was required. The AD requires that the engine driven pump assembly be re-torque "to prevent leaks that could result in engine failure or engine fire." The log book review failed to show compliance with this AD.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.