Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Norfolk International Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Norfolk, Virginia 23511
Monday, February 7, 1994 16:00 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE FLIGHT WAS CRUISING AT 7500' WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGH 12.2 NAUTICAL MILES FROM NORFOLK AIRPORT. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE DID NOT CHANGE THE PROPELLER SETTING UNTIL HE WAS OVERHEAD THE AIRPORT. THEREAFTER THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE OIL ACCESS DOOR BLEW OPEN AND PIECES OF THE ENGINE EXITED THE AIRPLANE. DURING THE FORCED LANDING ON RUNWAY 23 THE AIRPLANE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE GRASSY AREA. EXAMINATION REVEALED THE NO. 2 CYLINDER ASSEMBLY, PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD SEPARATED FROM THE CRANKCASE AT THE CYLINDER HOLD-DOWN STUD AREA. FOR METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION THE HOLD- DOWN STUDS ALONG WITH THE CRANKCASE WERE SENT TO THE NTSB LAB IN WASHINGTON, DC. THE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED FATIGUE CRACKS AND THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF WELDING THROUGH THE CRANKCASE. THE WELDING AREAS WERE SOFTER THAN THE AREAS THAT WERE NOT WELDED.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE MOUNTING BOLT WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND SUBSEQUENT ON GROUND COLLISION WITH THE TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/7/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1600 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | NORFOLK |
| Event State | VIRGINIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 23511 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | ORF |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 230 |
| Airport Elevation | 27 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1615 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ORF |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Thin Broken |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -5 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 110 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 9 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 6 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1374 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Feb 7 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1715 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 10:39AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N38780 |
| NTSB Number | BFO94LA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7780471 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3600 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 3 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 50 |
| Airframe Hours | 3791 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VINCENT A GUARDIONE |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 45 EXETER AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LONG MEADOW |
| Aircraft Owner State | MA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 01106 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | GUARDIONE VINCENT & MICHAEL |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 45 EXETER AVENUE |
| Operator City | LONG MEADOW |
| Operator State | MA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 01106 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DPL |
| Departure City | KENANSVILLE |
| Departure State | NC |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1530 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | HFD |
| Destination City | HARTFORD |
| Destination State | CT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:34AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 23 |
| Runway Length | 9000 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |