Piper PA32 N4079R

Summary

On 5 July 2020 at about 17:00 local time, a Piper PA32 registered N4079R, operated by Zahasky Richard, was involved in an accident near Eveleth, Minnesota, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

5 July 2020 at 17:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Eveleth, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

47.4593, -92.5405

Aircraft

Piper PA32

Registration

N4079R

Category

Airplane

Year built

1968

Engines

1

Operator

Zahasky Richard

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Tower → Menomonie

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA263

2 people had minor injuries.

The seizure of the airplane’s engine-driven fuel pump due to internal contamination, which led to a total loss of engine power. The source of the contamination could not be determined based on available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane’s engine lost power during cruise flight, and the pilot executed a forced landing to a wooded area. A postimpact fire ensued, and the airplane was destroyed. Postaccident examination revealed that the engine-driven fuel pump drive shaft had fractured. No other anomalies were found. Further examination of the pump revealed internal corrosion and smeared material on the ends of the pump rotor vanes. The internal bypass spring was missing, but wear marks indicated that the spring had been in place sometime during the life of the pump. The investigation could not determine whether the spring had been removed or was destroyed and consumed internally. Heat discoloration observed on the rotor shaft was consistent with frictional heating of the shaft.   Disassembly of the engine-driven fuel pump revealed that the ends of the rotor vanes that interfaced with the pump sidewalls showed evidence of smeared material, transfer marks, and other oxidized particles, which were consistent with ferrous wear debris. Such contamination of the internal pump components likely resulted in increased friction, frictional heating, and the eventual seizure of the pump, which led to the total loss of engine power during the accident flight. The investigation was unable to determine the source of the contamination based on available evidence. The engine driven fuel pump was subject to a Mandatory Service Bulletin. The service bulletin introduced pump design enhancements to improve relief valve housing sealing characteristics. These enhancements included actions to ensure that valve cover screws are tightened to correct torque values. The materials examination of the pump showed the gaskets were consistent with unmodified original components indicating the accident fuel pump had not been modified in accordance with the service bulletin. Had the service bulletin been complied with a visual inspection would have revealed gasket protrusion observed between the valve and the pump housing. This would have led to maintenance or replacement of the pump. Maintenance records were destroyed in the airplane when the accident occurred and hence were not available to substantiate if the service bulletin had been complied with.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.