Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Waynesboro, Georgia, April 12, 2007
On April 12, 2007 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N47944, was substantially damaged in an accident near Waynesboro, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Company maintenance personnel’s improper installation of an unapproved oil quick drain plug which resulted in oil exhaustion and subsequent loss of engine power during cruise flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2007 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Waynesboro, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N47944 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7837017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while at 5,000 feet in cruise flight, the low oil pressure enunciator light illuminated. The pilot reported the low oil pressure condition to Augusta Approach, and they vectored him towards the Burke City Airport. The pilot reduced power and started his descent. The pilot stated that the engine began surging then "quit/seized followed by smoke billowing out from the engine cowling." The pilot declared an emergency to Augusta Approach and decided to make an off airport landing. During the approach to landing the pilot realized that the field he chose to land on had just been harvested of trees leaving several tree stumps protruding above the ground which the airplane struck. The landing gear collapsed after touch down and the airplane skidded to a stop. The pilot stated that he was not injured, and was also unable to contact Augusta Approach either by radio or cell phone. The pilot stated that he walked about 1/4 mile until he could get a signal on his cell phone to report the accident. According to the airplane owner/operator, a mechanic had installed an engine oil quick drain prior to the flight. The mechanic was unaware that a quick drain was not recommended for installation on the PA-28R, as a result when the pilot retracted the landing gear after takeoff, the nose gear compressed the quick drain allowing the engine oil to drain out during the pilot's flight. According to the operator, after the accident the president of the company directed that all shop employees be given instruction in regards to why quick drains should not be installed on PA-28R Piper Arrows. Examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found that the airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings and the fuselage.
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: 473 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 345 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,520 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2006; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C8 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Augusta Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: DNL Augusta GA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: 4J6 St Marys GA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from AGS
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.