Summary
On July 31, 2014, about 1352 central daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N9103K, was destroyed during a forced landing following a total loss of engine power during cruise flight near Helena, Alabama. The private pilot and three passengers sustained serious injuries. The flight was conducted under Part 91 visual flight rules, with no flight plan filed. The intended destination was Dickson Municipal Airport in Tennessee, with departure from Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport at about 1142.
Accident Sequence
According to the pilot, the aircraft was completely fueled before departure and the initial flight was uneventful, cruising at 2,500 feet mean sea level. Approximately two hours into the flight, the pilot noticed that engine power seemed incorrect despite normal gauge indications. He decided to divert to Bessemer Airport (EKY). However, the engine began losing power and then experienced a total loss of power as the airplane descended toward EKY. The propeller continued to windmill. The pilot switched fuel tanks and activated the electric fuel pump in an attempt to restore power, but was unsuccessful. The airplane impacted trees about one mile south of EKY, rolled inverted, and then struck the ground. All four occupants egressed before the aircraft was consumed by a post-crash fire.
A witness, a firefighter outside a nearby fire station, observed the airplane flying northwest with the engine sputtering and black smoke emanating from the right side. The smoke appeared to darken as the airplane moved away. He was dispatched to the accident site about five minutes later.
Aircraft and Engine Information
The airplane was a 1978 Piper PA-32-300 equipped with a Lycoming IO-540, 300-horsepower engine. A factory rebuild of the engine was completed in 2002. The most recent annual inspection occurred on July 3, 2014, at which time the airframe had 2,888 total hours and the engine had 866 hours since rebuild.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident examination by an NTSB investigator revealed that a majority of the airplane was consumed by fire, and the engine was partially separated from the airframe. One propeller blade was bent aft with chordwise scratches; the other exhibited an outward bend at the tip. The top spark plugs were removed; electrodes were intact and gray or oil-soaked, except for the No. 6 spark plug which had dark soot. Borescope examination of the No. 6 cylinder revealed no other anomalies. Valve covers were removed and oil was present throughout the engine. Hand rotation of the propeller confirmed continuity of the camshaft, crankshaft, and valve train to the rear accessory section, and thumb compression was attained on all cylinders. The magnetos, engine-driven fuel pump, vacuum pump, and fuel injector showed thermal damage from the fire and could not be tested. The oil filter and fuel flow divider also had thermal damage. The fuel injector valve was open. The propeller governor oil screen and oil sump screen were free of debris, as were the fuel injector nozzles.
A handheld Garmin 496 GPS was recovered and data were successfully downloaded, providing plots of the accident flight.
Probable Cause
No probable cause was determined in the source.