Probable cause
A total loss of engine power as a result of the separation of the No. 5 connecting rod for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
NTSB analysis
The commercial pilot stated that, after departure, while climbing through 4,500 ft mean sea level, engine power decreased, the engine "vibrated violently," and he noted that the oil pressure dropped to zero. Soon after, the engine experienced a total loss of power and the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a nearby field. An examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 connecting rod had separated from the crankshaft. While several of the cylinders and connecting rods exhibited corrosion, the root cause for the separation of the No. 5 connecting rod from the crankshaft could not be determined. The manufacturer recommended a time between overhaul of 2,000 hours of operation or 12 years, whichever occurs first. At the time of the accident, the engine had accumulated about 2,500 hours of operation in the approximate 17 years since its last overhaul.
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA16LA022 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Oct 23, 2015
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Bluemont, Virginia
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-32-260
- N-number
- N43249
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1974
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.