Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 20:00 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

As the airplane turned onto final approach in the traffic pattern, at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the right engine began a violent vibration and started to lose power. The airplane was unable to maintain altitude, and the pilot attempted a forced landing to a road. As the airplane reached an altitude of approximately 300 feet, it began to lose directional control and impacted a traffic light. After touchdown, the airplane began to skid and impacted several objects on the ground before coming to rest. Metallurgical examination of the right engine revealed that it lost power due to a fatigue-fractured crankshaft. The pilot had positioned the right propeller control to feather, but the right propeller did not feather due to the fractured crankshaft. The engine was most recently overhauled 11 years prior to the accident, and the engine had accumulated 471 hours since then.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

The total loss of power in one engine during approach, due to a fatigue fracture of the crankshaft.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/1/2007
Event Day of the Week Wednesday
Time of Event 2000
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City Fort Lauderdale
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33301
Event Date Year 2007
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 261150N
Event Location Longitude 0801014W
Event Location Airport Fort Lauderdale Executive
Event Location Nearest Airport ID FXE
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 1
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation 13
Weather Briefing Completeness --
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1953 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) --
Weather Observation Facility ID FXE
Elevation of weather observation facility 13
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) --
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 15000
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 2500
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Overcast
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 27
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 23
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 240
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 3
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29.9
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 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 23964
NTSB Notification Source SROC
NTSB Notification Date Aug 1 2007 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Jul 30 2008 9:00AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\johb
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office FLL FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N60801
NTSB Number NYC07LA183
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 Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Piper
Aircraft Model Aerostar 601P
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 61P07448063366
Certified Max Gross Weight --
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 6
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Jan 1 2007 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours 2514
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Gerald Tillman
Aircraft Owner Street Address --
Aircraft Owner City Natural Bridge
Aircraft Owner State VA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 24578
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name Austin Brennen
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address --
Operator City Hollywood
Operator State FL
Operator Country USA
Operator Zip code 33024
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 No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code FXE
Departure City Fort Lauderdale
Departure State FL
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1955
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code FXE
Destination City --
Destination State --
Destination Country --
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jul 16 2008 9:19PM
User who most recently changed record grer
Since inspection or accident Time of Accident
Event Location Runway Number and Location 26
Runway Length 6001
Runway Width 100
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --