Piper PA-28R-201 N47944

Summary

On 12 April 2007 at about 21:00 local time, a Piper PA-28R-201 registered N47944, operated by Augusta Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Waynesboro, Georgia, 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

12 April 2007 at 21:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Waynesboro, Georgia, United States

Coordinates

33.0381, -82.0017

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-201

Registration

N47944

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Augusta Aviation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Augusta → St Marys

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ATL07CA074

Nobody was injured.

Company maintenance personnel’s improper installation of an unapproved oil quick drain plug which resulted in oil exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power during cruise flight.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the pilot, while at 5,000 feet in cruise flight, the low oil pressure enunciator light illuminated. The pilot reported the low oil pressure condition to Augusta Approach, and they vectored him towards the Burke City Airport. The pilot reduced power and started his descent. The pilot stated that the engine began surging then "quit/seized followed by smoke billowing out from the engine cowling." The pilot declared an emergency to Augusta Approach and decided to make an off airport landing. During the approach to landing the pilot realized that the field he chose to land on had just been harvested of trees leaving several tree stumps protruding above the ground which the airplane struck. The landing gear collapsed after touch down and the airplane skidded to a stop. The pilot stated that he was not injured, and was also unable to contact Augusta Approach either by radio or cell phone. The pilot stated that he walked about 1/4 mile until he could get a signal on his cell phone to report the accident. According to the airplane owner/operator, a mechanic had installed an engine oil quick drain prior to the flight. The mechanic was unaware that a quick drain was not recommended for installation on the PA-28R, as a result when the pilot retracted the landing gear after takeoff, the nose gear compressed the quick drain allowing the engine oil to drain out during the pilot's flight. According to the operator, after the accident the president of the company directed that all shop employees be given instruction in regards to why quick drains should not be installed on PA-28R Piper Arrows. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.