Piper PA-32R-300 N1965H

Summary

On 9 March 2001 at about 17:50 local time, a Piper PA-32R-300 registered N1965H, operated by Jay Black, was involved in an accident near Essex, California, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 March 2001 at 17:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Essex, California, United States

Coordinates

34.9602, -115.3100

Aircraft

Piper PA-32R-300

Registration

N1965H

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Jay Black

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Bullhead City → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX01FA113

2 people died.

Rupture of the fuel injection flow divider diaphragm due to improper manufacture of the raw material stock from which the diaphragm was fabricated. The diaphragm tear resulted in complete engine power loss, which required the pilot to descend into an undercast. The undercast obscured the mountain, which the airplane impacted. A factor in the accident was the manufacturer's inadequate quality control.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane did not return to the departure airport and an ELT signal directed searchers to the wreckage. The airplane had impacted a steep rock face near the top of a 4,900-foot mountain. Witnesses reported that, about the time of the accident, the mountain tops in the area were obscured in clouds above about 4,000 feet. The wreckage showed the airplane had "pancaked" against the side of the mountain while in a 45-degree left bank. Both communication radios were tuned to the emergency frequency. During the wreckage examination, the fuel injection flow divider diaphragm was found to have a tear in it. A tear in the diaphragm during flight would cause the engine to abruptly and completely cease operating. Examination of the diaphragm revealed that the Dacron fabric was not centered in the elastomer as called for in the manufacturer's drawing. The lack of centering in the elastomer led to micro buckling failure of the Dacron fibers due to tensile fatigue.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.