Piper PA-32R-301T accident near Tazewell, Tennessee, June 6, 2005
On June 6, 2005 at about 2:12 am local time, a Piper PA-32R-301T, registered N341MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tazewell, Tennessee. 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
Loss of engine power due to oil starvation; the reason for the oil starvation could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 6, 2005 · about 2:12 am local time
- Place
- Tazewell, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-301T · all PA-32R-301Ts on the register
- Registration
- N341MA · registry record · serial 3257041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At 2130, the pilot informed Indianapolis Center Air Traffic Controller that he was having an emergency. The airplane then lost engine power. The Controller provided information about nearby airports, but the pilot could not locate any of the airports. Another airplane in the vicinity tried to assist in visually locating a nearby airport, but was also unsuccessful. The pilot maneuvered for an emergency landing and the airplane collided with a tree, pickup truck and a mobile home. Examination of the aircraft revealed both wings detached, the propeller and engine cowling separated from the airplane, and the firewall buckled. The nose of the airplane was crushed and all three blades of the propeller were bent. Oil was across the belly of the fuselage and no oil was recovered from the engine. The fuel tanks were breached, but fuel was found in the fuel bowl and the fuel servo. Photographs of the accident scene showed the turbocharger oil drain tank separated from its mount and hanging from the oil scavenge line and oil breather line. The mounting flange remained attached to the turbocharger. The oil return line threads that attached to the oil drain tank were not damaged. The turbine housing at the turbocharger oil drain tank attachment area was discolored. The turbocharger center section oil supply line check valve was field tested by applying 30 inches of air pressure and was functional. The turbocharger teardown revealed no evidence of oil leakage from the turbocharger assembly. The turbocharger was manufactured in March 1988 and was overhauled and reinstalled on the airplane by a repair facility on June 3, 2005, 2 days before the accident. The pilot’s kneeboard was recovered. Kneeboard notes dated June 5, 2005, the day of the accident, contained a notation of “Symptoms,” followed by entries of “blue smoke” and “oil puddle.” Additional entries appeared to note engine power loss observations.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,032.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2004; 149 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AH1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAVL Asheville NC
- Destination: KLUK Cincinnati OH
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 180° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from KTYS, 41 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.