Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Crossville, Tennessee, March 18, 1986
On March 18, 1986, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N7613J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Crossville, Tennessee (Crossville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 1986
- Place
- Crossville, Tennessee · Crossville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7613J · no longer on the register · serial 28R-31005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON TAKEOFF THE PLT SAW AN OIL LEAK AROUND THE PROP HUB. THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO THE AIRPORT AND THE PROP GOVERNOR OIL TUBE FITTING WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND THE FLT WAS CONTINUED. THE PART WAS CHECKED DURING A LATER REFUELING STOP AND WAS NOT FOUND TO BE LEAKING. DURING CRUISE IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AN OIL LEAK WAS AGAIN SEEN. VECTORS WERE RECEIVED TO A NEARBY ARPT. THE ENG QUIT AND THE PLT ATTEMPTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING DURING WHICH THE ACFT STRUCK A TREE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENG SHOWED THAT THE OIL LINE FITTING HAD AGAIN CRACKED. BOTH FITTINGS WERE FOUND BY METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION TO HAVE FAILED DUE TO A LOW STRESS HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE INDUCED BY A HIGH MEAN TENSILE STRESS. THE OIL LINE WAS FOUND TO BE UNRESTRAINED ALTHOUGH THE SERVICE MANUAL CALLS FOR TWO CLAMPS. THE RESULTING VIBRATION INDUCED THE STRESS LOADS AS SEEN ON THE TWO FITTINGS.
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: 230 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 11, 1985; 102 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABY Albany GA at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LEX Lexington KY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; not recorded at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.