Pilot Debrief

NORTH AMERICAN T 28A near Las Cruces, NM — 2015-08-14

Final reportCEN15LA360
Sign in to save
Date
2015-08-14
Location
Las Cruces, NM, USA
Airport
LRU
Aircraft
NORTH AMERICAN T 28A
Registration
N14124
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Fatal
Fatalities
1
Phase of flight
Climb

Probable cause

Failure of the No. 6 cylinder connecting rod, due to improper rotation of the propeller during a previous hydraulic lock.

NTSB narrative

About 5 minutes after takeoff, the engine lost power and the pilot turned back toward the departure airport to make a forced landing. The airplane touched down about ½ mile short of the runway on uneven terrain, seriously injuring the pilot. The pilot was transported to a hospital via helicopter, but died four days later. Examination of the engine revealed failure of the No. 6 cylinder connecting rod. The connecting rod was most likely initially damaged during ground operations when the propeller was improperly rotated when a cylinder was hydraulically locked. The investigation was not able to determine when the initial damage occurred.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Engine power loss
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked for hydraulic lock before engine start.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 6 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents6

Related mishaps