Pilot Debrief

PIPER PA-32-300 near Gustavus, AK — 2012-06-25

Final reportANC12LA058
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Date
2012-06-25
Location
Gustavus, AK, USA
Aircraft
PIPER PA-32-300
Registration
N8908N
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

The fatigue failure of the engine crankshaft for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident metallurgical examination.

NTSB narrative

The scheduled passenger flight was about 11 miles from its destination airport when the airplane's engine began to lose power and vibrate. After completing the "Engine Power Loss In-Flight" emergency checklist, and with no improvement in engine power or the vibration, the pilot elected to shut down the engine and performed a forced landing on a beach. During the landing, the airplane's nose landing gear folded back under the airplane, and the engine firewall sustained substantial damage. An examination of the engine revealed that the crankshaft fractured forward of the #6 bearing journal on the crankshaft through the counterweight web. The fracture surfaces were all consistent with fatigue; however, the cause of the fatigue crack initiation could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Addressing engine vibration issues earlier could have prevented the failure.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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