Accident Summary
On April 30, 2022, at approximately 0810 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-32R-301 airplane (registration N4303P) was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Loogootee, Indiana. The pilot and passenger were not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
Flight Details
The pilot reported departing from Huntingburg Airport (HNB), Huntingburg, Indiana, en route to Putnam County Regional Airport (GPC), Greencastle, Indiana. About 10 minutes after departure, while cruising at 3,000 feet mean sea level, the engine lost partial power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a gravel road. During the landing, the airplane's left wing contacted a tree, resulting in substantial damage.
Examination and Findings
The aircraft was transported to a recovery facility for further examination. A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the engine and initially found no anomalies. An engine functional test run was conducted, but full engine rpm could not be achieved. The fuel servo and fuel flow divider were removed and sent for examination.
Testing of the fuel servo revealed it could not deliver more than 22 pounds per hour of fuel, which was below rated specifications. Disassembly discovered a self-locking nut (part number 2539449) stuck inside the top section of the plug. This condition prevented the head idle spring from properly allowing fuel flow through the ball valve.
The mechanic informed the FAA inspector that the fuel servo had been overhauled in March 2002, along with the engine, at a total time of 2,011.1 hours. At the time of the accident, the aircraft had accumulated 4,383.3 hours. Precision Airmotive Service Bulletin PRS-97 revision 2, dated November 22, 2013, specified that the time between overhaul for designated fuel system components should be the same as the engine manufacturer's recommendation or 12 years, whichever occurred first. Lycoming had established a time between overhaul of 1,800 hours.