Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Ludlow, California 92338
Saturday, February 22, 1992 13:37 PST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED A CATASTROPHIC CONNECTING ROD FAILURE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING THE SUBSEQUENT EMERGENCY LANDING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE ENGINE EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE NO. 5 CONNECTING ROD FAILED AT THE SMALL END DUE TO FATIGUE. THE FAILED CONNECTING ROD WAS A CORNEL FORGING 626119. THE LOGBOOK EXAMINATION DISCLOSED THAT THE NOS. 5 AND 6 CYLINDERS WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED ABOUT 10 MONTHS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT AND THAT MAINTENANCE FACILITY FAILED TO COMPLY WITH CONTINENTAL SERVICE BULLETIN NO. M86-11, REV. 1. THIS SERVICE BULLETIN RECOMMENDS THAT WHEN THE CYLINDERS ARE REMOVED FOR ANY REASON THE CORNEL FORGING CONNECTING ROD 626119 SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A STRONGER CONNECTING ROD.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE FAILURE OF THE REPAIR STATION TO ADEQUATELY PERFORM A TOP OVERHAUL AND COMPLY WITH A SERVICE BULLETIN. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE FAILURE OF THE CONNECTING ROD DUE TO FATIGUE AND UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 2/22/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1337 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Standard Time |
| Event City | LUDLOW |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92338 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 2 |
| 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 | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 60 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 21 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 289 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46372 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:45PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N9343C |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA122 |
| 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-28R-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28R-201 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7803254 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | Unknown |
| 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 | Jan 1 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 25 |
| Airframe Hours | 1460 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HIGGINS, MELVIN W & JEAN |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 601 BIRMINGHAM |
| Aircraft Owner City | BURBANK |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91504 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | HIGGINS, MELVIN W & JEAN |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 601 BIRMINGHAM |
| Operator City | BURBANK |
| Operator State | CA |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 91504 |
| 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 | LHU |
| Departure City | LAKE HAVASU CIT |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1305 |
| Departure Time Zone | PST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | BUR |
| Destination City | BURBANK |
| Destination State | CA |
| 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 | -- |