Accident Overview
On August 4, 2008, at approximately 1830 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301, registered as N532MJ, crashed into a bean field while attempting a forced landing following a loss of engine power. The accident occurred near Oxford, Mississippi. The certificated private pilot was not injured, and the airplane sustained substantial damage. The flight was operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91 with no flight plan filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time.
Pilot and Flight Information
The pilot was picking up the airplane after an engine overhaul. The flight originated from Holly Springs-Marshall County Airport (M41), Holly Springs, Mississippi, at about 1800, destined for Bruce Campbell Field (MBO), Madison, Mississippi. Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the engine went to idle. The pilot configured for best glide and prepared for an emergency landing into a bean field about 5 miles northwest of University-Oxford Airport (UOX). During the landing roll, substantial damage occurred to both wings, their control surfaces, and the fuselage.
Aircraft Examination
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the airplane. All three propeller blades were bent aft about 90 degrees near mid-span with leading edges worn and abraded. The fuselage was placed on stands for further examination. The right main gear was broken and separated; the left main gear had collapsed into the wheel well. The nose gear door was loose and bent, and the top right corner of the firewall was buckled.
Engine Examination and Testing
On August 13, 2008, an engine examination and run were conducted at Dallas Air Salvage in Arlington, Texas. Present were an FAA representative, a Piper Aircraft representative, a Lycoming Engines representative, and the owner of John Jewell Aircraft, Inc. The engine logbooks showed that the engine had been installed after a Lycoming factory overhaul with about 35-45 minutes of operating time since installation. The Hobbs meter read 1035.8 hours at installation.
No visible damage was found in the accessories section. About eight quarts of clean engine oil were present. Top spark plugs were removed, and cylinders were inspected with a lighted borescope—no anomalies noted. During visual inspection, the lower fitting of the fuel supply line from the fuel injector servo to the fuel flow divider was found loose. The "B" nut was marked and tightened; it required eight flats to become secure.
After securing the nut, the damaged propeller was replaced with a two-bladed test propeller. The engine was rotated by hand, impulse couplings snapped, and continuity was observed. A temporary fuel supply was connected, and the engine started using onboard power. The engine performed normally through mid-range, magneto check gave normal readings, and RPM was increased to maximum (2400 RPM, governor-limited with the temporary propeller).
The "B" nut was then loosened at the fuel flow divider source line, causing an immediate drop in fuel flow and RPM—consistent with the pilot's experience during the accident flight. The nut was retightened, and the engine resumed normal operation.
Findings
After engine shutdown, the representative from John Jewell Aircraft, Inc. stated that the mechanic did not check the subject line because it was already installed by Lycoming before the engine was shipped, and he assumed it was secure. According to Lycoming, the engine was a custom overhaul under HENPL-RT9591, which requires the fuel servo to be shipped loose. The fuel injector should have been provided in a box on the skid with the engine, requiring field installation by a mechanic, including connecting the subject hose.