Piper PA-32-300 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, June 17, 2005
On June 17, 2005 at about 12:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N646RM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida (Southwest Florida Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the connecting rod cap separation for undetermined reasons. Related factors were trees and the swampy terrain condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2005 · about 12:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Southwest Florida Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N646RM · no longer on the register · serial 32-40087
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was climbing after takeoff, and the pilot heard and felt a change in the engine operation. He stated the oil pressure gauge and the oil temperature gauge showed normal readings, but the engine rpm spiked briefly beyond redline then returned to a lower rpm. The pilot headed towards the nearest airport. He stated then "something gave in the engine, and it began to vibrate the yoke. A little further, and oil began to splatter on the windshield." The propeller continued to turn, the airplane could not maintain altitude, and the pilot glided it until it descended into trees and a swamp. Examination of the engine revealed cracks and a hole in the top of the crankcase. The No. 5 connecting rod cap was separated, pieces of the rod cap and bolts were in the engine sump, and the fracture features of the rod cap and bolts were obscured by mechanical damage. No evidence of oil leakage from any engine seals or at the propeller hub was observed. The connecting rods had been replaced during an engine major overhaul completed July 13, 1992. A new McCauley propeller was installed in accordance with Supplemental Type Certificate SA433CH on April 14, 2005, and an annual inspection was completed on the same date at an engine time since major overhaul of 1141.2 hours. The engine had accumulated 9 hours since the annual inspection, and the pilot reported there were no engine anomalies during those flights.
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
- Flight time: 420 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,182.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 2005; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KAPF Naples FL at 11:45 am
- Destination: KAVL Asheville NC
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KRSW, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.