Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
La Porte City, Iowa 50651
Tuesady, November 29, 1994 11:30 CST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE EN ROUTE THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY ENGINE VIBRATIONS AND A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WAS VECTORED TOWARD A GRASS AIRSTRIP WHICH HE COULD NOT LOCATE. EN ROUTE TO THE GRASS STRIP A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WAS EXPERIENCED. THE AIRPLANE WAS LANDED IN A PLOWED CORN FIELD. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED THE CRANKSHAFT HAD SEPARATED BETWEEN THE NO. 3 MAIN BEARING JOURNAL AND THE NO. 5 CYLINDER CRANKPIN DUE TO FATIGUE CRACKING. TCM SERVICE BULLETIN 92-16 ADDRESSING CRANKSHAFTS MADE FROM NON-VACUUM ARC REMELTED STEEL HAD NOT BEEN COMPLIED WITH.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
a material defect which resulted in the fatigue failure of the crankshaft and the aircraft owner's failure to comply with a Mandatory Service Bulletin addressing the defect. A factor related to the accident was the rough terrain on which the forced landing was made.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/29/1994 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1130 |
| Event Time Zone | Central Standard Time |
| Event City | LA PORTE CITY |
| Event State | IOWA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 50651 |
| Event Date Year | 1994 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 80 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1037 Central Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ALO |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 873 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 17 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | CST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 2000 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Overcast |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 310 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Minor |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2048 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 29 1994 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1230 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 6 2000 12:36PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1194H |
| NTSB Number | CHI95LA048 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-201 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7703016 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 4 1994 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 1670 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | ERIC S. BURKA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2150 HAMPSHIRE DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SLIDELL |
| Aircraft Owner State | LA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 70461 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | |
| Operator City | |
| Operator State | |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | |
| 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 | STP |
| Departure City | ST. PAUL |
| Departure State | MN |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1000 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | ARG |
| Destination City | WALNUT RIDGE |
| Destination State | AR |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency landing |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |