Accident Overview
On September 28, 2018, at approximately 1325 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32-300, registration N4592X, was substantially damaged during a forced landing to a marsh after a total loss of engine power during cruise flight near Bartow, Florida. The private pilot and a passenger sustained minor injuries. The personal flight was conducted under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Tampa Executive Airport (VDF) in Tampa, Florida. The flight originated from Boca Raton Airport (BCT) in Boca Raton, Florida, around 1230.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, during cruise flight the engine began to run rough. He notified air traffic control and declared an emergency. Shortly thereafter, the engine cowling separated, and the pilot observed a cylinder had detached as oil began covering the windscreen. Although air traffic control provided vectors to the nearest airport, the pilot could not see due to the oil and relied on instruments to fly to the ground.
Aircraft Examination
Examination of the accident site by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that during the landing in a marsh, the right wing contacted a tree and separated. The inspector also observed that the No. 3 cylinder had separated. Further examination of the engine after recovery showed impact marks on the engine crankcase where the No. 3 cylinder secured to it. These marks were consistent with the cylinder impacting the case multiple times. Additionally, several of the other cylinder nuts were found to be below the required 50 ft/lbs of torque.
Aircraft Information
The six-seat, low-wing, fixed-tricycle-gear airplane was manufactured in 1975. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540, 300-horsepower engine, equipped with a constant-speed, two-blade Hartzell propeller. Review of maintenance records revealed that the engine's most recent overhaul was completed on November 14, 2006. The airplane's most recent annual inspection was completed on March 16, 2018. At that time, the engine had accrued 353.58 hours since overhaul. There was no record of any cylinder removal or replacement since the engine overhaul. The airplane had flown about 13 additional hours from the annual inspection until the accident.