On August 5, 2000, a Piper PA-36-285 (registration N57616) was involved in an aviation accident near Osborne, KS. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot during the forced landing. Factors were the failure of the number four piston and cylinder, the soft terrain, and the main landing gear overload and subsequent collapse. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
An agricultural airplane was destroyed after a gear collapse during a forced landing following spraying operations. The pilot sustained fatal injuries. Examination revealed engine failure due to an overstressed intake valve, and seat belt/shoulder harness separations with tensile overload signatures.
Accident Description
An agricultural airplane was destroyed when it impacted terrain during a forced landing following a gear collapse. The airplane was returning from spraying operations when the accident occurred. The wreckage came to rest in a soft farm field of wheat stubble.
Pilot and Restraint System
The pilot was fatally injured in the accident. Examination of the restraint system revealed that the seat belt cable and shoulder harness cable had separated. The separated areas exhibited signatures consistent with tensile overload. The pilot was not wearing a helmet, and the manual control for the shoulder harness inertia reel was found in the unlocked position.
Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the engine found that the number four cylinder was compromised. A portion of the piston pin was protruding through a hole in the cylinder wall. Examination of the number four piston and intake valve revealed that the valve failed due to overstress. Portions of the piston skirt had fractured and separated from the piston. The fracture surfaces on the piston contained severe mechanical damage that obscured the fracture surface features. One side of the piston skirt exhibited damage consistent with the piston rotating about the piston pin and the connecting rod impacting the skirt.
Additional Findings
No other anomalies were found that could be associated with a preexisting condition.
A SkyWalk Join't 3 paraglider crashed into the ground near Las Vizcachas, Chile, on September 1, 2024. The pilot and passenger sustained serious spinal…
PARAPENTE (ULTRALIVIANO NO MOTORIZADO)·2024-09-01DGAC Chile
A Cessna 172N struck electrical cables while on final approach to land at Aucó Aerodrome in Chile. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained damage…
A Bombardier DHC-8-402 suffered a tail strike during landing at Puerto Williams on September 9, 2024. All 76 occupants were unharmed, but the aircraft…
A MYD JS-MD 3 glider veered off the runway and struck a wall at Vitacura Aerodrome on January 6, 2025. The pilot was uninjured, but the aircraft sustained…
A recreational paraglider flight in Puchuncaví, Chile, ended with the pilot sustaining serious injuries after a rapid descent and impact with a hillside on…
PARAPENTE (ULTRALIVIANO NO MOTORIZADO)·2025-03-29DGAC Chile
A Tecnam P2006T landed on its belly at an aerodrome in Poland after the crew failed to confirm landing gear deployment. The incident resulted in no injuries…