Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Lincoln Park Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Lincoln Park, New Jersey 07035
Saturday, November 26, 2005 11:53 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
During climb-out from the departure airport, the pilot noticed the engine "felt off balance" and began to "misfire." The pilot initiated a return to the airport, and shortly thereafter the engine "backfired" and lost all power. The pilot initiated a forced landing, during which the airplane impacted trees and was substantially damaged. Examination of the engine revealed that a helicoil was cross threaded in the number 3 cylinder head, and metallic particles were adhered to the cylinder head and top of the piston. Thirteen days earlier, the pilot reported difficulty clearing one of the spark plugs, and he removed the number 3 cylinder bottom spark plug as a result. A mechanic then cleaned the spark plug hole, assured there were no steel particles in the cylinder, replaced the helicoil, installed a new spark plug, and ran the engine. The mechanic who installed the helicoil was non-certificated, and at the time the work was performed, a certificated mechanic was not present. According to Textron Lycoming Service Instruction No. 1043A, if a spark plug Helicoil insert replacement is performed with the cylinder assembled on the engine, "some provision must be made for preventing the aluminum shavings from entering the combustion chamber."
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The improper installation of the helicoil by the non-certificated mechanic, and the inadequate inspection of the installation by the certificated mechanic.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/26/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 1153 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Lincoln Park |
| Event State | NEW JERSEY |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 07035 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 405651N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0741852W |
| Event Location Airport | Lincoln Park Airport |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | N07 |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0.1 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 182 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1153 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 180 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | CDW |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 173 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 4 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 2 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 190 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.35 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 2 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21104 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA-EROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Nov 26 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 26 2007 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Teterboro, NJ |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N6858P |
| NTSB Number | NYC06LA038 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-24-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 24-1994 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2550 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Apr 1 2005 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 3758.19 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Salvatore M. Scalato |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Little Ferry |
| Aircraft Owner State | NJ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 07643 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| 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? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| 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 | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | N07 |
| Departure City | Lincoln Park |
| Departure State | NJ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1150 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | N40 |
| Destination City | Pittstown |
| Destination State | NJ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Climb |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 26 2007 2:48PM |
| User who most recently changed record | ANDJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 19 |
| Runway Length | 2942 |
| Runway Width | 50 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |