Piper PA-28R-200 N2074T

Summary

On 23 December 2012 at about 18:30 local time, a Piper PA-28R-200 registered N2074T, operated by Aero TOO Inc, was involved in an accident near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

23 December 2012 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, United States

Coordinates

41.5000, -77.5764

Aircraft

Piper PA-28R-200

Registration

N2074T

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Aero TOO Inc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

New Castle → Kingston

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA13LA097

1 person was seriously injured.

The reinstallation of improper connecting rods at engine overhaul, which resulted in abnormal wear of the connecting rod bearings; while the bearings did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications, the use of the unapproved connecting rods more likely caused the bearing wear.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot said the airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet when the engine began to "surge" and then, shortly thereafter, stopped producing power. He selected a forced landing area in a clearing, but the airplane entered trees before reaching the clearing and came to rest upright in flat, heavily wooded terrain. Examination of the engine at the scene revealed that it could not be rotated by hand, and metal particles were contained in the oil filter and the finger strainer. Disassembly of the engine at the manufacturer's facility revealed the oil sump contained debris associated with the No. 3 connecting rod, piston, and attachment hardware. The connecting rod had fractured at the crankshaft and punctured the crankcase. The fractured end of the rod was exposed in the hole and examination revealed evidence of oil starvation at the No. 3 connecting rod journals, which resulted in the rod's separation from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination of No. 3 bearing fragments and intact bearings harvested from the engine revealed material and construction discrepancies between the aftermarket manufacturer's parts drawings and the bearings themselves. The connecting rods used in the accident engine were not approved for installation by the engine manufacturer; however, the bearings used with the connecting rods were properly matched to the rods installed. Because the connecting rods and, therefore, the connecting rod bearings, were not the correct parts for the engine, it is probable that the bearings failed from improper part selection and, therefore, possibly improper material selection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.