History of Flight
On September 14, 2022, at about 1222 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28R-201 airplane, registration N62FC, was destroyed in an accident near Conway, South Carolina. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The flight was operating under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight.
The airplane departed Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), South Carolina, at about 1205, en route to Columbus County Municipal Airport (CPC), Whiteville, North Carolina. Shortly after departure, the pilot informed air traffic control of problems with the compass, making it difficult to maintain assigned headings. He stated he wanted to return to the airport but was not declaring an emergency. About 30 seconds later, the pilot reported a loss of engine power and said he could not make it back to MYR, having identified an off-field landing area.
Surveillance video captured the airplane flying low near trees but did not record the accident sequence due to a power surge when the airplane impacted a powerline. The airplane first struck an estimated 40-ft-tall pine tree, then a powerline, and came to rest against a berm along a gravel roadway. The right wing separated during the tree impact, and the vertical stabilizer separated during the powerline impact. A postcrash fire consumed much of the wreckage and back burned to the tree from the initial impact.
Maintenance Background
Since April 18, 2022, the airplane had been at Executive HeliJet Aviation in Myrtle Beach for avionics upgrades. As part of the work, the vacuum system was removed and replaced with electronic instrumentation. The Garmin G5 Electronic Flight Instrument Installation Manual states that if the vacuum pump is removed, the engine accessory port must be properly covered. A review of the work order showed that a vacuum pump plate (P/N 60430) was ordered, but there was no reference to ordering the required vacuum pump drive pad gasket.
Postaccident Examination
During examination of the wreckage, flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the left aileron, stabilator, and rudder. A sizeable quantity of oil was present near the tail tie-down ring on the bottom of the empennage. The engine examination revealed that connecting rods for cylinders 2, 3, and 4 were separated from the crankshaft. The left crankcase half was fractured inboard of the No. 4 cylinder mounting pad. When the vacuum pump cover was removed from the drive pad, no gasket or remnants were found, although other engine components had gasket remnants despite thermal damage.
Maintenance records indicated that after a certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic completed the work, the Director of Maintenance (a mechanic with inspection authorization) signed the airplane back to service. The logbook entry stated the vacuum pump was removed but did not address installation of the drive pad gasket or cover, and there was no mention of an engine runup after the work.
In an interview, the mechanic who removed the vacuum pump stated he cleaned the mating surfaces with Scotch-Brite and installed the cover, thinking he had replaced the gasket. He said he ran the engine for about 30 minutes after the avionics installation and did not recall any oil leaks. He checked the oil level a few days later and found it still above 7 quarts, from an initial 7.5 quarts. The Director of Maintenance stated he reviewed completed work in stages for larger jobs.