Piper PA-28-180 N8364W

Summary

On 2 November 2009 at about 19:03 local time, a Piper PA-28-180 registered N8364W, operated by Nicholas George Pathenos, was involved in an accident near Coldwater, Michigan, 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

2 November 2009 at 19:03

Classification

Accident

Location

Coldwater, Michigan, United States

Nearest airport

Branch County Memorial Airport (EOB)

Coordinates

41.9333, -85.0522

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-180

Registration

N8364W

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Nicholas George Pathenos

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Pontiac → Champagne

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN10LA037

1 person had minor injuries.

A loss of engine power due to the separation of the No. 4 piston connecting rod as a result of inadequate torque of the connecting rod bolt.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was in cruise flight at 2,500 feet above mean sea level when the engine oil temperatures started to rise. He started to divert to a nearby airport, but the engine seized and he executed a forced landing to a field. The inspection of the engine revealed a hole in the crankcase at the #4 cylinder position. The #4 piston connecting rod was found disconnected from the crankshaft, and it was deformed and bent into a “U” shape. The #4 connecting rod cap was separated from the #4 connecting rod. One of the connecting rod bolts was found sheared in half with the nut still attached to one end of the bolt. The other connecting rod bolt was not located in the connecting rod or in the rod cap. A connecting rod bolt was found in the bottom of the engine. The bolt threads exhibited some impact damage, but otherwise, the connecting rod bolt was intact and was not bent. The nut for the connecting rod bolt was not located in the engine. The engine logbook indicated that four new pistons were installed on May 31, 2003. The logbook entry did not indicate that the connecting rods had been replaced. On May 1, 2007, the #4 cylinder was replaced, but there was no indication in the logbook entry that the #4 piston or connecting rod had been repaired or replaced.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.