Piper PA-46-310P accident near Hastings, Minnesota, April 7, 2002
On April 7, 2002 at about 3:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N9184F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hastings, Minnesota. 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 engine failure due to oil starvation as a result of the fatigue fracture of the number 6 piston. Additional factors were the unsuitable terrain for landing encountered by the pilot, and the inadequate piston design by the manufacturer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2002 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Hastings, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N9184F · no longer on the register · serial 46-8408068
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane sustained substantial damage during a forced landing on a road after a loss of engine power. The pilot reported he was in cruise flight at 3,000 feet when he noticed a slight surging of the engine and observed fluctuations in the manifold pressure. About 30 seconds to one minute after the surging stopped, the engine power suddenly reduced to no more than idle power and was running very rough. Then the engine lost all power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a paved road, but the airplane veered left off the road and the left wing hit a small tree. The engine inspection revealed the connecting rods for cylinders 3, 4, and 5 were all broken loose from the crankshaft, and these three crank journals showed evidence of extreme heat. The inspection revealed that the number 6 piston had a fatigue fracture across the piston crown structure in line with the piston pin. A hole was burned in the piston near the center of the crown along a fracture line, to the piston interior. The origin of this fracture was the crown surface. No number stamp or defects were observed at the fracture origin site. The inspection of the piston revealed that no material defects or surface anomalies were present at the origin of the larger fatigue crack, and that base metal composition of the piston was consistent with alloy AE109 specification. The engine manufacturer reported that it was in the process of redesigning the piston used in the 310 horsepower TSIO-550-C engines.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,683 hours in all; 2,059 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 3,497 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 2, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,574 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 9, 2001; 132 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,100 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-550-C1B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STP St. Paul MN at 2:45 pm
- Destination: RGK Red Wing MN
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 3:17 pm from RGK, 11 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N9184F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.