N9420N

On March 2, 2023, at 1305 central standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N9420N, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Slaughters, Kentucky. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

According to the pilot, he purchased the airplane in April 2021, and the airplane had not flown for 22 years. He hired a mechanic to complete an extensive annual inspection, and the mechanic endorsed the airplane’s logbooks on March 1, 2023. The pilot planned on flying the airplane back to San Diego, California.

On the day of the accident, he flew from Bowman Field Airport (LOU), Louisville, Kentucky, to Madisonville Regional Airport (2I0), Madisonville, Kentucky, which was about 97 nautical miles. He topped off the fuel tanks at 2I0 and visited a friend in town for a couple hours before departing for Lebanon Springfield Airport-George Hoerter Field (6I2), Springfield, Kentucky. About 5 minutes after he departed 2I0, at an altitude of 1,600 ft mean sea level, the engine started to “lose power and slow down.” He did not remember if the engine was sputtering, he just remembered the engine was losing power. He knew he could not make it back to the airport, so he set up for a forced landing to a field. The airplane landed hard, and all three landing gear separated from their mounts. The main landing gear were forced up through the wings, which substantially damaged the wing ribs and main spar.

Examination of the engine revealed that, when electrical power was applied to the electric fuel pump, fuel leaked from the fuel strainer bowl. The thumb wheel, which secured the fuel strainer bowl to the firewall, was loose and not secured with safety wire, which allowed fuel to exit the fuel strainer bowl. The fuel system forward of the fuel strainer was examined and no fuel was noted up to the fuel nozzles. The fuel strainer bowl was secured by the mechanic and when the fuel pump was powered up fuel flowed from the strainer bowl, through the fuel lines, to the fuel nozzles. The fuel nozzles were examined, and the No. 3 nozzle had a small piece of unidentified material in it and the No. 4 nozzle was totally clogged. The Nos. 1 & 2 nozzles were found clear of debris. No other anomalies were noted with the engine.