Piper PA-31-350 accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina, April 19, 2000
On April 19, 2000 at about 7:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N41081, was substantially damaged in an accident near Rock Hill, South Carolina (Rock Hill airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The maintenance personnel's failure to re-torque the engine driven fuel pump in accordance with an Airworthiness Directive that resulted in a fuel leak and a subsequent engine fire.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 19, 2000 · about 7:45 pm local time
- Place
- Rock Hill, South Carolina · Rock Hill · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N41081 · no longer on the register · serial 31-8352008
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of another airplane waiting for takeoff radioed the pilot of the accident airplane and told him that there was a fire on the right engine. The pilot of the accident airplane confirmed the fire and shut down the right engine. The engine fire was subsequently extinguished after airport officials used several hand-held fire extinguishers. The internal examination of the engine compartment showed fire damage in the vicinity of the engine driven fuel pump. Adjacent to the fuel pump assembly was a hydraulic supply line. Additional examination of the engine compartment disclosed that the hydraulic supply line was loose; the engine driven fuel pump was also loose. A review of the airframe and engine maintenance log books revealed that Airworthiness Directive (AD) 98-18-12 was required. The AD requires that the engine driven pump assembly be re-torque "to prevent leaks that could result in engine failure or engine fire." The log book review failed to show compliance with this AD.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 150 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,705 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2000; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Patton Aviatin Inc,.
The flight
- Departed from: DYB Summerville SC at 7:00 pm
- Destination: Rock Hill SC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 20, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from CLT, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.