Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Waynesboro, Georgia 30830
Thursday, April 12, 2007 17:00 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
According to the pilot, while at 5,000 feet in cruise flight, the low oil pressure enunciator light illuminated. The pilot reported the low oil pressure condition to Augusta Approach, and they vectored him towards the Burke City Airport. The pilot reduced power and started his descent. The pilot stated that the engine began surging then "quit/seized followed by smoke billowing out from the engine cowling." The pilot declared an emergency to Augusta Approach and decided to make an off airport landing. During the approach to landing the pilot realized that the field he chose to land on had just been harvested of trees leaving several tree stumps protruding above the ground which the airplane struck. The landing gear collapsed after touch down and the airplane skidded to a stop. The pilot stated that he was not injured, and was also unable to contact Augusta Approach either by radio or cell phone. The pilot stated that he walked about 1/4 mile until he could get a signal on his cell phone to report the accident. According to the airplane owner/operator, a mechanic had installed an engine oil quick drain prior to the flight. The mechanic was unaware that a quick drain was not recommended for installation on the PA-28R, as a result when the pilot retracted the landing gear after takeoff, the nose gear compressed the quick drain allowing the engine oil to drain out during the pilot's flight. According to the operator, after the accident the president of the company directed that all shop employees be given instruction in regards to why quick drains should not be installed on PA-28R Piper Arrows. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Company maintenance personnel’s improper installation of an unapproved oil quick drain plug which resulted in oil exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 4/12/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 1700 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Waynesboro |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30830 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 4 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 330217N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0820006W |
| 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 | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AGS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| 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) | 26 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 2 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 280 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 17 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 23 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29.84 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 21678 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Com Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Apr 12 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 27 2007 1:15PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\lema |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N47944 |
| NTSB Number | ATL07CA074 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Piper |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-201 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7837017 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 1 2006 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 57 |
| Airframe Hours | 8520 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Augusta Aviation Inc |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | August |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30904 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Augusta Aviation Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Augusta |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30904 |
| 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) | Business |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | DNL |
| Departure City | Augusta |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1630 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | 4J6 |
| Destination City | St Marys |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Cruise - normal |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 24 2007 1:30PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |