Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, December 23, 2012
On December 23, 2012 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N2074T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The reinstallation of improper connecting rods at engine overhaul, which resulted in abnormal wear of the connecting rod bearings; while the bearings did not meet the manufacturer’s specifications, the use of the unapproved connecting rods more likely caused the bearing wear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 2012 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lock Haven, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N2074T · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7135018
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said the airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 feet when the engine began to "surge" and then, shortly thereafter, stopped producing power. He selected a forced landing area in a clearing, but the airplane entered trees before reaching the clearing and came to rest upright in flat, heavily wooded terrain. Examination of the engine at the scene revealed that it could not be rotated by hand, and metal particles were contained in the oil filter and the finger strainer. Disassembly of the engine at the manufacturer's facility revealed the oil sump contained debris associated with the No. 3 connecting rod, piston, and attachment hardware. The connecting rod had fractured at the crankshaft and punctured the crankcase. The fractured end of the rod was exposed in the hole and examination revealed evidence of oil starvation at the No. 3 connecting rod journals, which resulted in the rod's separation from the crankshaft. Metallurgical examination of No. 3 bearing fragments and intact bearings harvested from the engine revealed material and construction discrepancies between the aftermarket manufacturer's parts drawings and the bearings themselves. The connecting rods used in the accident engine were not approved for installation by the engine manufacturer; however, the bearings used with the connecting rods were properly matched to the rods installed. Because the connecting rods and, therefore, the connecting rod bearings, were not the correct parts for the engine, it is probable that the bearings failed from improper part selection and, therefore, possibly improper material selection.
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 defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Unauthorized maint/repair › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 548 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 19 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 470 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,314 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 16, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aero Too INC
The flight
- Departed from: UCP New Castle PA at 6:10 pm
- Destination: 20N Kingston NY
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from IPT, 25 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.
Other NTSB records under N2074T 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.