Piper PA 32R-301T accident near Dalhart, Texas, June 9, 2017
On June 9, 2017 at about 8:05 pm local time, a 1983 Piper PA 32R-301T, registered N782SW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Dalhart, Texas (Dalhart Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the engine's front bearing seal due to maintenance personnel’s installation of an improperly sized crankshaft seal, which resulted in oil starvation and a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2017 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Dalhart, Texas · Dalhart Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32R-301T, built 1983 · all PA 32R-301Ts on the register
- Registration
- N782SW · no longer on the register · serial 32R-8429001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was in cruise flight when the engine's forward main seal (crankshaft seal) began to leak engine oil. Shortly thereafter, the engine lost power, and the pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field about 5 miles west of the departure airport. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the bottom half of the crankshaft seal had slipped forward from its placement, which allowed engine oil to leak from the engine. The seal had an approximate time in service of 21 hours since its replacement. It is likely that maintenance personne installed an improperly sized crankshaft seal, which led to it slipping, allowing the engine oil to leak.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Oil › Fluid level
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › (general) › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 645 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,016.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 6, 2017; 19 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD (piston); 6,017 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DHT Dalhart TX at 7:56 pm
- Destination: AXX Angel Fire NM
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from DHT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on August 28, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Record of Correspondence - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Engine Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Log | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.