Accident
On June 19, 2016, at approximately 2045 central daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-200 airplane, registration N9336N, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a field near Bowie, Texas. The commercial pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight was operated by a private individual under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight departed Eppley Airfield (OMA), Omaha, Nebraska, around 1615 and was en route to Bowie Municipal Airport (0F2), Bowie, Texas.
Pilot Actions
According to the pilot's written statement to the National Transportation Safety Board, he had been cleared for the RNAV 17 approach to 0F2 with a descent to 4,000 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported pulling back the throttle with no response from the engine. He informed air traffic control but stated the situation was manageable and did not declare an emergency. About four miles from the airport, the pilot enrichened the engine's fuel/air mixture, at which point manifold pressure decreased and the engine lost power. With a line of trees and a small lake ahead, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing toward a road and open field.
Inspection and Findings
An FAA inspector who responded found substantial damage to the right wing. Examination of the engine revealed that the throttle control arm had separated from the joint assembly. The throttle control arm was original hardware (part number 31747-00). The female end of the throttle arm exhibited elongation at the attachment point. No other anomalies that would have precluded normal operation were found in the airframe, engine, or remaining systems.
Maintenance Records
Piper Aircraft Corporation Service Letter No. 747, dated May 28, 1975, recommends replacing the throttle arm and joint assembly with a new refinement kit if any wear is present. The service letter notes that careful inspection of throttle and mixture control attachments is normal maintenance and a requirement of both standard Piper Period Inspections and Piper Program Inspection Procedures. The FAA inspector examined the logbooks and found no record of compliance with this service letter. The pilot's accident report listed the last inspection as an annual type, but no date was provided. Investigators could not determine why the service letter was not complied with or the exact state of the throttle arm at the last inspection.