Individually Owned: 151,845
Corporate Owned: 143,699
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Augusta, Georgia 30909
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 18:55 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
While enroute to the destination airport, the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had a "rough running engine,"and asked where the nearest airport was. He was given vectors for an airport and subsequently reported that the airplane's engine lost power and that he would attempt to land on a road. The airplane touched down in a parking lot and continued to travel for about 50 feet, until it impacted a building and caught fire. A witness reported that the engine sounded as if "all the cylinders weren't firing." Examination of the engine revealed that the number 2 cylinder was displaced from the crankcase and the associated connecting rod was separated from the crankshaft. Examination of the studs used to attach the cylinder to the crankcase revealed that they were fractured due to fatigue. Additionally, continued operation of the engine after the separation of the cylinder fractured the associated connecting rod to produce mechanical damage inside of the crankcase. According to maintenance records, 22 months prior to the accident the engine case was repaired when a crack was noted. The engine was reinstalled and the airplane returned to service two months later, at 977 hours since major overhaul. The most recent 100-hour inspection was performed one month prior to the accident with no anomalies noted. At that time, the engine had accumulated 1409 hours since major overhaul. The investigator could not determine if a specific maintenance action initiated and allowed the fatigue crack.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the number 2 cylinder attach studs, and the subsequent separation of the number 2 cylinder.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/5/2007 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 1855 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Augusta |
| Event State | GEORGIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 30909 |
| Event Date Year | 2007 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 332853N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0820227W |
| 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 | 1853 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 170 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | AGS |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 144 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 10 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| 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) | 14 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -8 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| 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 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25444 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Southern Region ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | Dec 5 2007 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 7 2009 11:02AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Atlanta FSDO |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N43274 |
| NTSB Number | NYC08FA053 |
| 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 | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28R-200 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28R-7435259 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | -- |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 2 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | 2 |
| 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 | Nov 14 2007 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 38 |
| Airframe Hours | 2704 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | VPC Air |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 177 DALLAS RD SW |
| Aircraft Owner City | CARTERSVILLE |
| Aircraft Owner State | GA |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 30120 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Pheonix Air |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | 100 Pheonix Air Drive, SW |
| Operator City | Cartersville |
| Operator State | GA |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 30120 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | CHS |
| Departure City | Charleston |
| Departure State | SC |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1745 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | VPC |
| Destination City | Cartersville |
| Destination State | GA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Emergency descent/landing |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jun 26 2009 9:23AM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | N/A |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |