Mechanical & Engine Failure · NTSB ERA20LA309
Piper PA28 — McMinnville, TN
| Date | September 8, 2020 |
| Location | McMinnville, TN |
| Aircraft | Piper PA28 |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Initial climb Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail |
| Pilot age | 45 |
| Pilot total time | 299 hrs · Low time |
| Time in type | 170 hrs |
| Fatalities | 3 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Aircraft-Aircraft power plant-Engine (reciprocating)-Recip eng cyl section-Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Airspeed-Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Angle of attack-Not attained/maintained
What happened
During initial climb, below 500 ft above ground level, the engine experienced a total loss of power due to a separated cylinder head. The pilot initiated a right turn (based on the orientation of the wreckage) and the airplane stalled and spun flat into a field. Metallurgical examination of the cylinder revealed fatigue cracking, which was observed around approximately 180° of the cylinder circumference. The fatigue cracking emanated from the vertical stiffener on the front of the cylinder between the third and fourth fins. The fatigue cracking appeared to initiate at the start of the fillet between the vertical stiffener and the circumferential outer wall of the cylinder. The remainder of the fracture surface was consistent with overstress. The cylinder was installed new when the engine was overhauled about 19 months prior to the accident. The engine had accrued about 671 hours since overhaul.