Piper PA-32-260 N43249
23 October 2015 · Bluemont, Virginia, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 October 2015 at about 19:30 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 registered N43249, operated by BEC Industries Ltd, was involved in an accident near Bluemont, Virginia, United States. 2 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Bluemont, Virginia, United States
- Coordinates
- 39.0867, -77.8161
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260
- Registration
- N43249
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1974
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- BEC Industries Ltd
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Upperville → Belmar/Farmingdale
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA16LA022
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
A total loss of engine power as a result of the separation of the No. 5 connecting rod for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot stated that, after departure, while climbing through 4,500 ft mean sea level, engine power decreased, the engine "vibrated violently," and he noted that the oil pressure dropped to zero. Soon after, the engine experienced a total loss of power and the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a nearby field. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. While several of the cylinders and connecting rods exhibited corrosion, the root cause for the separation of the No. 5 connecting rod from the crankshaft could not be determined. The manufacturer recommended a time between overhaul of 2,000 hours of operation or 12 years, whichever occurs first. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated about 2,500 hours of operation in the approximate 17 years since its last overhaul.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Piper PA-32 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Feb 2015 | Piper PA-32-301 | Valdosta, Georgia, United States | BC Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jun 2015 | Piper PA 32 | Cuba, Missouri, United States | Limb-A-Nator LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Apr 2015 | Piper PA-32-300 | Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | - | Fatal | 7 |
| 21 Sep 2015 | Piper PA 32-260 | Jackpot, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 May 2015 | Piper PA 32-300 | Redlands, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Dec 2015 | Piper PA-32 | Opa Locka, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
All 1,695 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Sep 2015 | Cessna 177 | Moneta, Virginia, United States | DAP Imaging, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | Brookneal, Virginia, United States | Liberty University School of Aeronautics | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Feb 2015 | Autogyro CALIDUS | Crozet, Virginia, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Nov 2015 | U-Fly-It AEROLITE 103 | Midland, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 Aug 2015 | Cessna 182 | Hot Springs, Virginia, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Sep 2015 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS 2CT | Blacksburg, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |