Accident
On April 19, 2013, at approximately 1200 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-301 single-engine airplane, registration N82723, impacted terrain following a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Paris, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to Galaxy Travellaire Inc and operated by the pilot under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was operating on a visual flight rules flight plan. The flight originated from Parsons, Kansas, at 1030.
The pilot reported that while cruising at 7,500 feet mean sea level, the engine lost power and oil immediately covered the windscreen. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. During the landing, the airplane impacted terrain and came to rest upright. Examination of the airplane revealed substantial damage to the right wing, firewall, and the nose gear had separated.
Engine Examination
A review of maintenance records showed that the Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 engine (serial number L-15708-48A) had accumulated 4,683 total hours and 1,086 hours since major overhaul. The major overhaul was completed on November 3, 2008, and the most recent annual inspection was completed on April 4, 2013, at an engine time of 1,080.7 hours since overhaul.
On November 14, 2013, at Air Salvage of Dallas in Lancaster, Texas, the engine was disassembled under supervision. Visual examination revealed that the crankcase sustained an uncontained failure near cylinders 2, 4, and 6. The right side of the crankcase was cracked near cylinder 1. Disassembly showed metal debris throughout the engine. The oil pickup tube was 3/4 full of metal debris, and the oil sump contained metal debris and sections of connecting rod bolts, bearings, and connecting rods.
Sections of all six connecting rods were retained and submitted to the NTSB Materials Laboratory for metallurgical examination. The number 3 connecting rod was bent adjacent to the fracture surface, with irregular and rough features consistent with overstress failure. One strap fracture on the number 2 connecting rod showed flat features with curving crack arrest lines, consistent with fatigue. Fatigue features emanated from origin areas at the connecting rod bolt head cut out and from the bearing face. The fatigue regions were relatively rough with multiple origins and step features, consistent with low cycle fatigue. Fracture surfaces on the opposite strap for the number 2 connecting rod and one strap fracture on connecting rod number 4 also showed crack arrest features consistent with fatigue.
The nuts on two connecting rod bolt pieces were displaced toward the end of the bolt, and thread peaks between the nut and the grip were flattened. One nut was separated from the bolt, and the final two threads on the nut were damaged consistent with bolt pullout; the remaining threads were intact. Fracture surfaces on one bolt showed curving crack arrest lines consistent with fatigue, emanating from one side of the bolt.