Piper PA 32R-300 accident near Dawsonville, Georgia, October 30, 2017
On October 30, 2017 at about 12:26 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA 32R-300, registered N4213F, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Dawsonville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot, who was not a certified mechanic, to tighten the B-nut on a remotely mounted oil filter line, which resulted in oil exhaustion, a total loss of oil pressure, and a subsequent total loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 30, 2017 · about 12:26 pm local time · cases in 2017
- Place
- Dawsonville, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32R-300, built 1976 · all PA 32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4213F · no longer on the register · serial 32R-7680432
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal flight and reported that, while the airplane was climbing after takeoff, the engine began to run roughly and lose power. The pilot began a descent for an emergency landing and, during the descent, he sensed a "bad" engine vibration, which was followed by a complete loss of engine power. The pilot selected an area on an asphalt-covered automobile racetrack to make a forced landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane's wings and fuselage. A postaccident engine examination revealed a crack in the accessory case and a large hole in the crankcase near the No. 6 cylinder pad. A subsequent internal examination revealed damage to the engine's internal components, including the main bearings and the No. 6 connecting rod, that was consistent with oil exhaustion. The airplane was equipped with a remotely mounted oil filter. A B-nut on one of the oil filter lines was found to be loose with about 2 ½ threads showing. The B-nut was tightened by hand and rotated about 1 ¾ turns, which resulted in about ½ thread showing. The pilot stated that he was not an airframe and powerplant mechanic but that he had replaced the oil line about 1 week before the accident. The accident flight was the first flight after that maintenance.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during enroute
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the engine
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Eng oil sys (airframe furnish) › Eng oil dist (airframe furn) › Incorrect service/maintenance other cases naming the engine
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Replacement › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 15, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,527.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 2017; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-K165D (piston); 1,700 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GVL Gainesville GA at 12:00 pm
- Destination: GYY Gary IN
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KGVL, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 23, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Loose B-nut Video | MOV file | Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 3 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Air Traffic Control Audio | video | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N4213F: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,838 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-K165D 4,222 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lee Gilmer Memorial · departed from
- Gary/Chicago International · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Georgia 2,138 since 1982 · 361 in the last ten years
- Georgia 8,801 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC18LA006.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.