WARFORDSBURG, PA, USA
N8335X
PIPER PA-28RT-201T
WHILE CRUISING AT 5000 FEET, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATING AND DROP TO ZERO. THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGHLY AND SMOKE EMANATED FROM THE COWLING. THE PILOT SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. HE LANDED ON A SNOW COVERED FIELD AND THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE FRACTURE OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD. THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING APPEARED TO HAVE SHIFTED FORWARD, BLOCKING THE OIL SUPPLY TO THIS BEARING. EVENTUALLY THE BEARING OVERHEATED, AND THE CONNECTING ROD FAILED.
On Tuesday, March 15, 1994 at 1715 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, N8335X, registered to and piloted by Lee Taylor, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Wardfordsburg, Pennsylvania. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and IFR flight plan was filed. The flight was being conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot stated in his report: At approximately 30 to 35 minutes into the flight I noticed the engine oil pressure gauge fluctuating....I asked Cleveland Center ...for vectors to the nearest airport...the oil pressure went to "0" and the...annunciator light illuminated....I...selected a farm field for an emergency landing. The ground was snow covered...Upon landing the landing gear sheared ... Mr. Jeffrey D. Halliday, an Air Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration, examined the engine on March 29, 1994. In his report, Mr. Halliday stated: Inspection of the engine revealed one of the connecting rods had failed and was protruding from the case near the number two cylinder. ...a review of the aircraft records was satisfactory. The failure of this engine was caused by #2 bearing shifting and shutting off oil to the #2 and #3 connecting rods.
THE ENGINE FAILURE AS A RESULT OF A MAIN BEARING SHIFT AND RESTRICTED LUBRICATION, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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