Piper PA-32R-301 accident near Van, Texas, October 17, 2024

The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record

The pilot and two passengers completed an uneventful flight and refueled the airplane. They departed again, and while established in cruise flight, the engine gradually lost power. The pilot’s troubleshooting attempts were unsuccessful in restoring engine power, and the pilot performed a forced landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. Postaccident examination revealed that the air induction hose (scat duct) to the fuel servo was the incorrect part and was also damaged and degraded. The scat duct had several tears on the outside that were covered with orange sealant. The sealant was torn open in several places but appeared to have been previously covering tears in the scat duct. The scat duct’s internal metal wire was loose and had been rubbing/chafing on the inside of the airbox. The scat duct was able to collapse easily when light pressure was applied to the outside; the internal wiring shifted easily and allowed the scat duct to collapse. The collapsed duct would have restricted airflow to the engine and resulted in a loss of engine power. During an annual inspection about 7 months before the accident, the lower cowl induction air scoop was rebonded to the engine cowling. The failed scat duct would have likely been removed and reinstalled to the airbox during this work, and the mechanic would have been able to assess its condition and recognize that it was not a manufacturer-approved part. The airplane’s maintenance logbooks did not document when the scat duct was originally installed or subsequently repaired.

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.

Photographs from the investigation 13 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them

Photograph 1 – Accident sitePhotograph 2 – Accident sitePhotograph 3 – Accident sitePhotograph 4 – Airplane during examinationPhotograph 5 – Engine on test rigPhotograph 6 – Air filter, air box, scat ductPhotograph 7 – Collapsed and degraded scat ductPhotograph 8 - Collapsed and degraded scat ductPhotograph 9 - Collapsed and degraded scat ductPhotograph 10 - Collapsed and degraded scat ductPhotograph 11 – Scat duct holes and repairsPhotograph 12 - Scat duct holes and repairsPhotograph 13 - Scat duct holes and repairs

The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.