ABERDEEN, MS, USA
N16388
PIPER PA-32-300
AT APPROXIMATELY 100-FOOT ALTITUDE, AFTER TAKEOFF, WITNESSES HEARD ENGINE SPUTTER AND LOSE POWER. AIRCRAFT WAS THEN OBSERVED TO BANK STEEPLY TO THE LEFT AND DESCEND INTO TREES. A POSTCRASH FIRE ERUPTED. THE NO. 3 CONNECTING ROD HAD FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. THE FATIGUE ORIGINATED IN GALLING MARKS IN THE BEARING AREA ON THE CRANKSHAFT END. ACCORDING TO LYCOMING ENGINES, GALLING IS CAUSED BY ENGINE OVERSPEED OR OVERBOOST. NO RECORDS OF THESE EVENTS HAVING OCCURRED WERE FOUND. AFTER NO. 3 ROD SEPARATED, IT JAMMED INTO THE ENGINE CASE AND DID NOT HINDER ROTATION OF THE ENGINE. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND TO HAVE ROTATIONAL DAMAGE, AND BLADE ANGLE AT IMPACT WAS IN THE 2100 RPM RANGE. SEVERAL LARGE TREE LIMBS WERE FOUND CUT BY THE PROPELLER AT THE CRASH SITE.
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S DECISION TO INITIATE A TURN BACK TO THE AIRPORT AT A LOW ALTITUDE FOLLOWING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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