Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Baker, California 92309
Tuesady, September 8, 1992 13:10 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
A PIPER 32RT 300T, LANDED HARD ON DIRT STRIP AFTER EXPERIENCING A TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THE PILOT HEARD A LOUD BANG WHILE CRUISING AT 13,500 MSL. OIL FROM THE ENGINE OBSCURED THE PILOT'S VISION THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT SECURED THE ENGINE AND SELECTED A DIRT STRIP NEAR AN AUTOMOBILE SALVAGE YARD AS A FORCED LANDING AREA. DURING THE LANDING THE AIRPLANE STRUCK AN AUTOMOBILE. SAFETY BOARD INVESTIGATORS FOUND A HOLE IN THE ENGINE CRANKCASE IN THE VICINITY OF THE NUMBER 1 AND NUMBER 2 CYLINDERS DURING THE PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION. DISASSEMBLY OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE NUMBERS 1 AND 2 CONNECTING RODS WERE BROKEN AND THE NUMBER 1 CONNECTING ROD CONTAINED A GALLED SPOT ON ITS CONNECTING ROD BEARING SURFACE. SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE FIVE REMAINING CONNECTING RODS REVEALED EVIDENCE OF GALLING BETWEEN THE CONNECTING ROD BEARING FACE AND ROD BEARING. ACCORDING TO THE ENGINE MANUFACTURER, GALLING BETWEEN THE CONNECTING ROD BEARING FACE AND ROD BEARING IS CAUSED BY PERIODS OF HIGH LOADING DUE TO OVERSPEED OR EXCESSIVE MANIFOLD PRESSURE. ABOUT 15 DAYS OR 6 FLIGHT HOURS, THE TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE WAS ADJUSTED BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL INSTRUMENT INDICATIONS BEFORE THE ENGINE FAILURE.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE UNKNOWN PILOTS IMPROPER USE OF THE THROTTLES WHICH RESULTED IN THE OVERBOOSTING OF THE ENGINE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IMPROPER MAINTENANCE IN ADJUSTING THE TURBOCHARGER WASTEGATE AND THE OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE AFTER THE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE WHICH RESTRICTED THE PILOT'S VISUAL OUTLOOK.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 9/8/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1310 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | BAKER |
| Event State | CALIFORNIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 92309 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 9 |
| 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 | Not pertinent |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1352 Pacific Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 225 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | DAG |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1927 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 43 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | PDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 25000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 35 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 4 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 300 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 667 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Sep 8 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1345 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 48064 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:18PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N20926 |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA377 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32RT-300T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32RT-30 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R-7887181 |
| 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 | Feb 5 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 30 |
| Airframe Hours | 2047 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | REULING-HARDY, NANCY |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2095 E SIERRA RIDGE COURT |
| Aircraft Owner City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Aircraft Owner State | UT |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 84109 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | REULING-HARDY, NANCY |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2095 E SIERRA RIDGE COURT |
| Operator City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Operator State | UT |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 84109 |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | BUR |
| Departure City | BURBANK |
| Departure State | CA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | SLC |
| Destination City | SALT LAKE CITY |
| Destination State | UT |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:30AM |
| 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 | -- |