Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023
Sunday, June 5, 1988 10:00 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
DURING FLIGHT, SMOKE & FUMES ENTERED THE COCKPIT, & SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PLT TRIED TO GLIDE TO AN AIRPORT, BUT WAS UNABLE, SO HE ELECTED TO LAND ON A ROAD. HOWEVER, JUST BEFORE TOUCHDOWN, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A TREE & THE ACFT CRASH LANDED ON THE ROAD. AN EXAM OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT A FITTING ON THE ENGINE TURBO-CHARGER OIL SUPPLY LINE HAD FAILED & ALLOWED OIL TO ESCAPE. THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN MODIFIED WITH AN OIL PRESSURE SWITCH TO OPERATE THE HOBBS METER; HOWEVER, THE ADAPTER FITTING WAS NOT INSTALLED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRODUCTION CONFIGURATION. AN ADDED TEE FITTING HAD BEEN TIE-WRAPPED & WAS STRESSED IN A SIDEWARD DIRECTION. FAILURE OF THE FITTING OCCURRED ON THE SIDE OPPOSITE OF THE DIRECTION OF THE TIE-WRAP.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
FAILURE OF THE AN TEE FITTING, THEREBY ALLOWING THE OIL TO BE PUMPED OVERBOARD CAUSING THE ENGINE FAILURE. THE FAILURE OF THE TEE FITTING WAS CAUSED BY THE TIE WRAP USED TO SECURE THE LINE. THE TIE WRAP PULLED THE OIL LINE AND STRESSED ONE SIDE OF THE TEE FITTING. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS ACCIDENT WAS THE MECHANICS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE APPROVED PIPER PROCEDURES FOR THE INSTALLATION OF A OIL PRESSURE OPERATED HOBBS METER.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/5/1988 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1000 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | GRAND CANYON |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 86023 |
| Event Date Year | 1988 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| 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 | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 945 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 230 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | GCN |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 6600 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 7 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| 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) | 23 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -7 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 25 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 2258 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 5 1988 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1050 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 40003 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 13 2000 11:50AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2131N |
| NTSB Number | LAX88LA213 |
| 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-28RT-201T |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-28RT-20 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7921045 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2900 |
| 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 | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 19 1988 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 40 |
| Airframe Hours | 1702 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | TUR-DAK INC. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 8002 BELLAIRE AVE. |
| Aircraft Owner City | N. HOLLYWOOD |
| Aircraft Owner State | CA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 91605 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DOUGLAS CUNNINGHAM |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| 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 | |
| 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 | 1W1 |
| Departure City | DENVER |
| Departure State | CO |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 0 |
| Departure Time Zone | |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | P06 |
| Destination City | BULLHEAD CITY |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing |
| 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 | -- |