Piper PA-28-180 accident near Athens, GA
On December 6, 1995, a Piper PA-28-180 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Athens, GA. 2 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- December 6, 1995
- Place
- Athens, GA
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 2 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 33.910°N, 83.320°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001207X04948
NTSB summary
On December 6, 1995, at 0813 eastern standard time, a Piper PA- 28-180, N180KH, collided with the ground as the pilot attempted a forced landing in a field one mile east of the Athens/Ben Epps Airport in Athens, Georgia. The business flight operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91 with an instrument flight plan filed. Instrument weather conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The flight departed LaGrange, Georgia, at 0700 hours. According to Atlanta Center, the instrument flight was at a cruise altitude of 7,000 feet when the pilot reported a loss of engine power. As the pilot established an emergency descent, the controller issued the flight radar vectors to the Athens Ben Epps Airport. The pilot continued the emergency descent and collided with the ground two miles east of the airport. During the preliminary examination of the engine, a hole was discovered in the vicinity of the number 2 cylinder. Further examination of the engine assembly disclosed that, aluminum and abrasive ferrous flakes had circulated throughout the entire internal lubrication route. The examination also disclosed the failure of the number two connecting rod and bearing assemblies. Excessive wear was noted on the camshaft, valve tappets and piston pins. The teardowm examination also discovered that number 3 piston caps and cylinder wall were also scored. A review of the aircraft maintenance logs revealed that the number 2 and the number 4 piston pin plugs were replaced and the oil sys
Probable cause
The mechanic's failure to adequately inspect and repair the engine, which resulted in engine oil contamination, and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the low ceiling.
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Browse: Georgia · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
