Piper PA-31P N7325L

Summary

On 28 August 2007 at about 18:00 local time, a Piper PA-31P registered N7325L was involved in an accident near Newton, Kansas, United States. One person was 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

28 August 2007 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Newton, Kansas, United States

Nearest airport

Newton City/County Airport (KEWK)

Coordinates

38.0581, -97.2744

Aircraft

Piper PA-31P

Registration

N7325L

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Newton → Wynne Municipal

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DEN07LA149

Nobody was injured.

The failure of the exhaust gasket on the number 6 cylinder for undetermined reasons. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

During initial takeoff climb, at an altitude of 300 feet agl, the right engine lost partial power. The pilot attempted to land back at the airport; however, he had to execute a forced landing in a field adjacent to the airport. Examination of the plane revealed the right wing forward and rear spars were bent upward. Examination of the right engine revealed the number 6 cylinder exhaust gasket was practically missing, the lower spark plug lead on the number 6 cylinder was damaged and separated from the spark plug, and the magneto P-lead was damaged, resulting in a partial loss of engine power. Review of the maintenance records revealed that the exhaust gaskets on the right engine, cylinders 2, 4, and 6, had been replaced approximately 4 hours prior to the accident. The reason for the failure of the exhaust gasket was not determined.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.