Piper PA 32-300 accident near Rushville, Indiana, July 5, 2017
On July 5, 2017 at about 6:40 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA 32-300, registered N112DE, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Rushville, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inability to properly control engine power because of an improperly installed throttle control arm, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power and led to a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2017 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Rushville, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32-300 301, built 1979 · all PA 32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N112DE · no longer on the register · serial 32-7940044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport pilot and two passengers were on a cross-country flight. While the airplane was descending, the pilot attempted to level off, but the engine did not respond to his throttle input. The pilot decided to divert and began troubleshooting the engine. The pilot could decrease engine power with throttle movement but could not restore engine power with throttle movement. Subsequently, the throttle would not advance past three-fourths of the distance to full throttle application, and the airplane was unable to maintain its altitude. Because the airplane would be unable to reach a nearby airfield, the pilot performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane's firewall was substantially damaged. Postaccident examination of the airplane found that the throttle control arm was improperly fastened, resulting in throttle arm slippage, which precluded proper control of the engine. It could not be determined if the throttle arm was improperly fastened during the airplane's last annual inspection, which occurred about 3.5 months before the accident. The airplane had accumulated 12 hours of flight time since the inspection.
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 (partial) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Power lever › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Powerplant parameters › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, flight engineer, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,158 hours in all; 619 in this make and model; 107 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 4,490 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 11, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,396.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 24, 2017; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 6,059 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFWA Fort Wayne IN at 5:12 pm
- Destination: KJVY Jeffersonville IN
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from KGEZ, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on March 15, 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | 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.