History of Flight
On March 5, 2023, at 1459 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161 (registration N8149R) was destroyed in an accident near Lindenhurst, New York. The flight, operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional discovery flight, resulted in serious injuries to the flight instructor and one passenger, and fatal injuries to the second passenger. Months after the accident, the instructor succumbed to his injuries.
The airplane departed Republic Airport (FRG) in Farmingdale, New York, at about 1419 from runway 32. After takeoff, it turned right toward the southeast, crossed the coastline, and flew over the Atlantic Ocean, performing multiple turns including 360° maneuvers. The maximum altitude reached was about 2,000 ft msl. The flight then returned toward FRG.
While on approximately a 3-mile final approach to runway 32, the flight instructor reported smoke in the cockpit to the tower controller and requested an immediate landing. The controller cleared the airplane to continue straight-in. The instructor acknowledged and advised that he was turning off the radios. On a 2-mile final, the instructor broadcast a Mayday call, and the airplane turned left. The controller observed smoke emanating from the left side as the airplane descended rapidly from view.
Doorbell and surveillance cameras captured the airplane at low altitude with a shallow descent angle as it entered trees, shedding sheet metal and major structure, igniting spilled fuel, impacting terrain, and rotating 180° before coming to rest upright, engulfed in flames. The engine sound remained smooth and continuous until ground contact. Emergency vehicles that had been awaiting the airplane at FRG departed the airport to search after the impact.
Personnel Information
The flight instructor's logbook was mostly destroyed by fire. Employment and dispatch records indicated he had accumulated an estimated 330.5 total flight hours.
Aircraft Information
The airplane, manufactured in 1980, was powered by a Lycoming O-320-D3G 160-horsepower engine. The most recent 100-hour inspection was completed on January 4, 2023, at 18,866 total aircraft hours and a tachometer time of 3,655.7 hours. A maintenance entry noted replacement of the #4 cylinder with an overhauled assembly. A logbook entry on January 16, 2023, at tachometer 3,657.3 hours stated: "Pilot reports smoke in cockpit during flight on 01/07/2023. After troubleshooting, flown and tested. Aircraft returned to service with no smoke." The last maintenance entry before the accident was a 50-hour inspection on February 27, 2023, at tachometer 3,701.8 hours.
Two flight instructors reported prior smoke events. One instructor experienced smoke on a discovery flight on January 2, 2023, during landing approach. After landing, she told the flight school owner, who replied, "we just changed the cylinder, what do you expect?" No maintenance was performed, and the airplane was immediately scheduled for another flight. Another instructor and a student reported smoke on January 7, 2023, while performing touch-and-go landings. That airplane was taken out of service afterward. The owner later attributed the smoke to "some type of spray" used by the mechanic and said he had flown the airplane, deeming it "perfectly good."
The operator had no standard operating procedures, safety officer, safety program, formal safety meetings, or procedures for documenting maintenance discrepancies. There was no emergency response plan; employees did not know whom to contact after the accident. The operator stated that "CFIs are independent contractors. Each instructor is a flight school in itself." Regarding fire extinguishers, the operator said, "As far as I know, all of them have fire extinguishers," while the lead mechanic said, "Most of the airplanes have them, but I can’t remember which ones," adding that they were not mounted but "tucked in the seat back pocket."
Wreckage and Impact Information
The wreckage path was about 470 ft long, oriented approximately 300° magnetic. Initial impact was in a tree about 60 ft above ground. Debris including sheet metal, aileron section, wingtip fairing, and position lights were scattered along the path. Burning fuel from the airplane destroyed two trailered boats about 350 ft down the path. The main wreckage came to rest upright in a right-of-way between a commercial property and a railroad bed, facing opposite the direction of travel. The left wing and main landing gear separated and came to rest about 50 ft before the main wreckage. The engine cowling showed no evidence of pre- or postcrash fire. The tree trunk had a slash mark consistent with propeller blade contact.
The engine was exposed and severely damaged by postcrash fire. The windscreen, instrument panel, cockpit, cabin, roof, and empennage were completely consumed by fire. Flight control continuity was established from cockpit controls to all surfaces. The engine exhibited extensive thermal and some impact damage. Crankshaft rotation established powertrain continuity; compression was confirmed on all cylinders. The right magneto was destroyed by fire; the left magneto produced a spark. The carburetor was damaged, but throttle and mixture cables were attached. The engine-driven fuel pump pumped fuel when actuated.
Examination by an NTSB Fire and Explosion Investigator focused on the firewall, which showed thermal damage on both sides but no evidence of an inflight fire. Two copper fuel primer lines on the cockpit side of the firewall exhibited localized melting, with sharp demarcation between melted and intact material. A non-standard tee fitting on the copper oil pressure line also showed concentrated melting, consistent with electrical arcing. The melted fitting, branch line, and end fitting were not part of the original design, and what had been connected to the melted fitting could not be determined.