Piper PA 46-350P accident near Nappanee, Indiana, July 5, 2013
On July 5, 2013 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA 46-350P, registered N502EU, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Nappanee, Indiana (Nappanee Municipal airport). 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
The failure of the No. 6 piston due to detonation and the subsequent interruption of the engine oil flow that resulted from the piston fragments.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2013 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Nappanee, Indiana · Nappanee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 46-350P · all PA 46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N502EU · registry record · serial 4622182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, upon leveling the airplane at the assigned cruise altitude, he heard three loud "bangs" and that the engine oil pressure and temperature indications exceeded the gauge limits. He was unable to maintain altitude and subsequently executed a forced landing to a field. A postaccident engine examination revealed that a portion of the No. 6 piston face had separated along the perimeter due to detonation within the cylinder during operation. The No. 5 connecting rod had separated near the crankshaft journal, and the lower portion of the engine crankcase exhibited a hole immediately above the oil sump. Metallic fragments were recovered from the oil sump, oil sump screen, and oil filter. Piston fragments likely interrupted the oil flow within the engine, which resulted in the failure of the No. 5 connecting rod.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng oil sys › Damaged/degraded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,802 hours in all; 323 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,510 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,584.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 11, 2012; 48.9 hours since
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 1,584 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EKM Elkhart IN at 4:10 pm
- Destination: TYQ Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from GSH, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.