Piper PA 28-180 N4931L

Summary

On 15 June 2014 at about 18:10 local time, a Piper PA 28-180 registered N4931L, operated by Parker Larry, was involved in an accident near Quincy, California, United States. 4 people were 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

15 June 2014 at 18:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Quincy, California, United States

Nearest airport

Ganser Field Airport (2O1)

Coordinates

39.9397, -120.9406

Aircraft

Piper PA 28-180

Registration

N4931L

Category

Airplane

Year built

1967

Engines

1

Operator

Parker Larry

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Quincy → Quincy

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR14LA249

Nobody was injured.

The partial loss of engine power during takeoff due to the separation of the exhaust baffling, which resulted in a partial blockage of airflow to the engine. Contributing to the accident was maintenance personnel’s inadequate inspection of the exhaust system during the airplane’s most recent maintenance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, the airplane would not climb; therefore, he chose to make a precautionary landing onto a nearby field. During the final approach, the stabilator impacted a fence post, and the pilot subsequently landed the airplane uneventfully. During a postaccident examination of the exhaust system, the baffles within the muffler assembly were found partially separated and blocking the exhaust ducts, which would have restricted the airflow in the ducts and resulted in a loss of engine power when the airplane reached a higher engine rpm setting during takeoff. No additional mechanical anomalies were observed that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane manufacturer's service manual states, in part, "a very thorough inspection of the entire exhaust system, including the…muffler and muffler baffles, stacks, and all exhaust connections and welds must be accomplished at each 100-hour inspection. The possibility of exhaust system failure increases with use." The airplane's most recent annual inspection, which should have included the items from the 100-hour inspection, occurred about 3 flight hours before the accident. Maintenance records indicated that maintenance personnel inspected the exterior of the muffler system; however, the records did not indicate that maintenance personnel performed the airplane manufacturer-recommended exhaust system inspection.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.