Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Dekalb-Peachtree Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Roswell, Georgia 30075
Wednesday, October 28, 1998 18:24 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While transiting the Atlanta area, the commercial rated pilot reported a sudden loss of engine oil pressure and a subsequent severe vibration to Atlanta Approach Control. Approach Control vectored the flight toward the Dekalb-Peachtree airport for an emergency landing. Due to the loss of power, the pilot was unable to maintain altitude and was force landed on a highway. The pilot left the airplane in the cruise configuration and landed with wheels and flaps retracted. Upon landing, the aircraft slid on the road contacting a Jeep Cherokee, then impacting a Mazda 626. After the impact with the Mazda, the aircraft and the automobile caught fire destroying both. The pilot received serious injuries while the driver of the automobile was fatally injured. During a post crash disassembly of the engine, the number five connecting rod was found fractured through the rod shoulder. A metallurgical examination of the connecting rod was performed, during which the #5 rod was found to have fatigue cracks originating at or near areas of galling. Connecting rods are routinely re-used following inspections for evidence of galling. The engine had operated to within about 60 hours of its recommended time between overhauls, with the broken rod installed.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to the failure of the number five connecting rod assembly as a result of fatigue cracks that were initiated in areas of galling. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for a forced landing.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/28/1998 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1824 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | ROSWELL |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30075 |
| Event Date Year | 1998 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | DEKALB-PEACHTREE |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | PDK |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 12 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 340 |
| Airport Elevation | 1002 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1753 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 340 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | PDK |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1002 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 12 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 8 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 1 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1915 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 28 1998 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1855 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | IMAGE |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 11:49AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8554C |
| NTSB Number | ATL99FA011 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-300 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7680122 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 14 1998 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 56 |
| Airframe Hours | 9469 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | AIR CARRIERS, INC |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | POST OFFICE BOX 400 |
| Aircraft Owner City | BESSEMER |
| Aircraft Owner State | AL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 35201 |
| 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 | DKBA |
| Owner has at least one certificate | Yes - certificate holder |
| 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 | Non-scheduled |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | Domestic |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | Cargo |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Unknown |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | EKY |
| Departure City | BESSEMER |
| Departure State | AL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | CST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | GVL |
| Destination City | GAINESVILLE |
| Destination State | GA |
| 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 | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |