The airplane was destroyed on colliding with power lines and the ground at 2320 Central time during a night forced landing following a loss of engine power. The Commercial pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. According to ATC, the flight was in cruise level flight at 6000 feet when the pilot reported “a rough running engine.” The pilot subsequently reported, “Mayday, going down, on fire.” There were no eyewitnesses to the accident; the burned-out wreckage was located the next morning. The power lines consisted of two parallel wires suspended on unmarked wooden poles about 80 feet agl. Ground signatures, ground scars and damage sustained by the airframe are consistent with ground impact in a nose-down attitude in the inverted position. Examination of the wreckage revealed a large hole atop the engine case between the number 4 and number 6 cylinders. Additionally, the #5 cylinder was found separated from its mount. The connecting rod cap and bolts were missing. The rod end bearing was undamaged
November 4, 2006, Danville, Ark. / Piper PA-32-300
The airplane was destroyed on colliding with power lines and the ground at 2320 Central time during a night forced landing following a loss of engine power. The Commercial pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. Night visual conditions prevailed. According to ATC, the flight was in cruise level flight at 6000 feet when the pilot reported "a rough running engine."
Key Takeaways:
- A commercial pilot and two passengers were fatally injured when their airplane was destroyed during a night forced landing, colliding with power lines and the ground.
- The accident occurred after the pilot reported a "rough running engine" and subsequently declared "Mayday, going down, on fire."
- Wreckage examination revealed a catastrophic engine failure, indicated by a large hole in the engine case and a separated cylinder with missing connecting rod components.
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