Piper PA-32-300 N364BW

Summary

On 8 February 2005 at about 23:12 local time, a Piper PA-32-300 registered N364BW was involved in an accident near Concord, North Carolina, 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.

Date

8 February 2005 at 23:12

Classification

Accident

Location

Concord, North Carolina, United States

Coordinates

35.3956, -80.7056

Aircraft

Piper PA-32-300

Registration

N364BW

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wilmington → Concord

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL05LA049

1 person had minor injuries.

The loss of engine power due to the failure of the fuel pump which resulted in fuel starvation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, during a cargo flight to Concord Regional Airport, North Carolina at an attitude of approximately 2000 feet, and 5 miles out from runway 20 the engine began to lose power. The pilot switched from the left main tank to the right main tank to regain engine power. Engine power was regained for a brief moment and then started to decrease again to 1000 rpm. The pilot switched from the right main tank to the auxiliary tip tanks, and noted no increase in engine power. The pilot contacted the Concord Regional Airport tower and informed them that the airplane was "going down." The airplane collided in a rock quarry approximately one mile from the approach end of runway 20. Post accident examination of the airplane revealed the engine was displaced aft. Post-accident examination of Fuel Pump model (RG17980D/M) serial # B-4766-3402 revealed that the fuel pump was repaired in the field during the life of the unit. The unit was shipped new prior to 1989. No record of overhaul or upgrade activity by the manufacturer was noted. No evidence of preventive maintenance was noted. Examination of the unit revealed severe wear to the rotor interface with the drive coupling, rubber seal material worn on rubber journal, severe wear to rotor seal. The inside diameter of the rotor seal was severely oversized, and compromised the sealing capability at the pumps drive end. This location revealed extensive leakage during testing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.