N4389W

On January 2, 2000, at 1611 central standard time, a Piper PA-46-310P airplane, N4389W, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power near Odessa, Texas. The private pilot, who was the registered owner and operator of the airplane, and his passenger were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight and a flight plan was not filed. The cross-country flight originated from the Odessa-Schlemeyer Field Airport, Odessa, Texas, at 1557, and was destined for Clovis, New Mexico.

According to the pilot, he departed from runway 20 with approximately 50 gallons of fuel on board. After departure he turned to a northerly heading, initiated a climb to 12,500 feet, and contacted Midland Approach for VFR flight following. The airplane was approximately 10 miles from Odessa, and was climbing through 9,000 feet, when the engine lost total power. The pilot turned the airplane back toward Odessa, declared an emergency, and attempted to restart the engine by using the fuel boost pump. When the pilot activated the fuel boost pump, the engine ran "for a few seconds and then quit." He tried to re-start the engine again, using the fuel boost pump 4-5 more times, and then realized there was a "strong odor similar to fuel" in the cabin. During the ensuing forced landing to Highway 338, the airplane contacted mesquite bushes and a fence. The airplane came to a stop upright, on Highway 338, 2.1 miles north of the Odessa-Schlemeyer Field Airport.

An FAA inspector examined the airplane at the accident site and reported that there was a hole in the engine crankcase at the base of the #2 cylinder. A crack was observed extending from the hole to the top of the crankcase. The #1 piston pin separated at its mid-point, and one half of the pin was found laying on the ground outside of the crankcase. The section of the piston pin found outside of the crankcase had a crack extending laterally through its entire length. The inspector added that the right wing root was buckled and the right wing spar sustained structural damage.

The 310-horsepower Teledyne Continental TSIO-520-BE engine and the section of the #1 piston pin found outside of the crankcase were examined, under supervision of an FAA inspector, at the Teledyne Continental Motor's (TCM) Manufacturing facility located in Mobile, Alabama. The #1 piston separated at the piston pin boss structure. The upper crown of the piston remained in the cylinder. The #1 cylinder exhaust rocker arm was found fractured and a TCM Metallurgist stated that the fracture surface exhibited signatures typical of overload. Fragments of the #1 piston pin and the connecting rod bushing (piston pin end) were found fragmented in the oil sump. The section of the #1 piston pin, which was found outside of the crankcase, was examined by a TCM Metallurgist and he stated that the fracture surface exhibited signatures typical of fatigue. The #2 piston separated at the piston pin boss section. The aluminum piston pin plug separated and exhibited signatures typical of overload. The #4 and #6 connecting rod bushings (piston pin end) were observed to be worn and not fully seated in the connecting rods.

According to the engine logbook, the engine had accumulated a total of 1,895.0 hours since major overhaul. It underwent its most recent 100 hour inspection on November 13, 1999, at which time it had accumulated 1,868.6 hours. According to a TCM service bulletin (M89-13) the recommended time between overhauls, for this model engine, is 2,000 hours.