Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Vero Beach, Florida 32963
Tuesady, April 2, 1991 21:15 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WHILE ON A SHORT CROSS COUNTRY FLT, THE ENG QUIT. THE PLT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE ENG. DURING THE FORCED LANDING ON A ROAD, THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A TREE THEN A GUARDRAIL. EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR WHICH DRIVES TWO CRANKSHAFT IDLER GEARS WHICH IN TURN DRIVES EACH MAGNETO DRIVE GEAR FAILED TO DO SO WHEN THE BOLT WHICH SECURES IT TO THE CRANKSHAFT BACKED OUT ABOUT THREE TURNS. THIS WAS DUE TO A FOREIGN OBJECT LOCATED UNDER THE GEAR FOR AN UNDETERMINED TIME. THE LOOSE BOLT RESULTED IN THE TORQUE FROM THE CRANKSHAFT BEING TRANSMITTED TO THE CRANKSHAFT ALIGNMENT DOWEL, WHICH IS A NON-LOAD CARRYING MEMBER. THE ALIGNMENT DOWEL FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE RESULTING IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENG POWER. THE FOREIGN OBJECT WAS REPORTEDLY NOT LOCATED. REVIEW OF THE ENG LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE ENG WAS OVERHAULED 1,574 HRS EARLIER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS OF A SERVICE BULLETIN DURING THE MAJOR OVERHAUL OF THE ENGINE. THIS RESULTED IN FAILURE TO DETECT A FOREIGN OBJECT UNDER THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR. AS A RESULT THE CRANKSHAFT GEAR BECAME LOOSE AND QUIT TURNING RESULTING IN THE TOTAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/2/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 2115 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | VERO BEACH |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32963 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| 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 | 0 |
| 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 | 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) | 7 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 60 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| 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 | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 414 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 43701 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 9:45AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8156E |
| NTSB Number | MIA91LA115 |
| 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-28-181 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28-181 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-8290102 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| 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 | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 25 1991 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 87 |
| Airframe Hours | 3602 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VERO AIR RENTAL, INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P.O. BOX 3371 |
| Aircraft Owner City | VERO BEACH |
| Aircraft Owner State | FL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 32964 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SUN AVIATION, INC. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 3350 CHEROKEE |
| Operator City | VERO BEACH |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 32960 |
| 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 | 2RR |
| Departure City | RIVER RANCH |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 2055 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VRB |
| Destination City | VERO BEACH |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Approach |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | 0 |
| Runway Width | 0 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |