Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Coronado Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Albuquerque, New Mexico 78199
Thursday, April 9, 1992 16:20 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE AIRPLANE SUSTAINED AN IN-FLIGHT FIRE AND DURING THE FORCED LANDING IMPACTED THE TERRAIN NOSE LOW. ACCORDING TO ATC, THE PILOT DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE AIRPORT AFTER REPORTING SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PILOT DID NOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A DOWNWIND PATTERN AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AFTER OVERSHOOTING THE RUNWAY DURING THE APPROACH. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE FUEL LINE TO THE NO. 5 CYLINDER HAD SEPARATED OVER TIME BY CYCLIC STRESSES THAT PROPAGATED A FATIGUE CRACK. THE MAINTENANCE INSTALLATION OF THE LINE HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY ROUTED AND THE LINE NOT CLAMPED. MANUFACTURER INFORMATION ON THE LINE ROUTING AND CLAMPS HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE IN THE SERVICE BULLETINS. THE EXHAUST PIPE EXHIBITED MECHANICAL ABRASION AND THERMAL OXIDATION PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT ALTHOUGH THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAD UNDERGONE A RECENT MAINTENANCE CHECK. A 'B' NUT MISSING ON THE TOP SPARK PLUG FOR THE NO. 5 CYLINDER HAD BEEN SITUATED AT A LOCATION OF INTENSE HEAT DURING THE IN-FLIGHT FIRE. SURFACE CRACKS PENETRATING THE INSIDE SURFACE OF THE V-BAND COUPLING SECURING THE EXHAUST PIPE EXHIBITED SURFACE OXIDATION DAMAGE DETERMINED TO BE IN EXISTENCE FOR SOME TIME PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FUEL LINE FAILURE DUE TO VIBRATORY FATIGUE. FACTORS WERE IMPROPER MAINTENANCE, MANUFACTURER INFORMATION FOR FUEL LINE NOT AVAILABLE, AND THE PILOTS' FAILURE TO FOLLOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/9/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1620 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | ALBUQUERQUE |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 78199 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | CORONADO |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | 4AC |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 45 |
| Airport Elevation | 5280 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1550 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 220 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | ABQ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 5352 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 15 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | 25 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 320 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7800 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2006 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46654 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 2:51PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8194X |
| NTSB Number | FTW92GA111 |
| 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 | In-flight |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R8029086 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Aug 27 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 368 |
| Airframe Hours | 2986 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | NEW MEXICO TRANSPORTATION DEPT |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. BOX 579 |
| Aircraft Owner City | SANTA FE |
| Aircraft Owner State | NM |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 87504 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | NEW MEXICO TRANSPORTATION DEPT |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | P. O. BOX 579 |
| Operator City | SANTA FE |
| Operator State | NM |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 87504 |
| 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) | Public Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | ABQ |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1606 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SAF |
| Destination City | SANTA FE |
| Destination State | NM |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| 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 | 3 |
| Runway Length | 3500 |
| Runway Width | 40 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |