Piper PA-32 accident near Brunswick, Georgia, December 15, 2015
On December 15, 2015 at about 3:50 pm local time, a 1971 Piper PA-32, registered N8675N, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Brunswick, Georgia (Malcolm Mckinnon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's failure to properly torque a No. 4 cylinder hold-down nut during engine overhaul, which resulted in the loosening of the nut and the subsequent failure of the studs and through bolts and separation of the cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2015 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Brunswick, Georgia · Malcolm Mckinnon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32 300, built 1971 · all PA-32s on the register
- Registration
- N8675N · no longer on the register · serial 32-7240019
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting a personal cross-country flight. The pilot reported that the airplane was in cruise flight at 7,500 ft mean sea level when, without any warning, there was a loud explosion from the engine and an immediate loss of engine power. The explosion caused the oil filler door to open, and oil subsequently spewed over the windshield, and smoke filled the cockpit. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted to glide to a nearby airport; however, he landed the airplane on a rooftop a few hundred yards short of the runway. Examination of the engine revealed that the No. 4 cylinder had separated from the engine case. All of the No.4 cylinder mounting stubs and through bolts were fractured except for the bottom forward stub; the nut for this stub was not located. The piston and corresponding connecting rod for the No. 4 cylinder were found in the bottom of the engine cowling. A review of the engine maintenance logbooks revealed that the engine was overhauled almost 8 years before the accident and had accrued a total time of 1,005.0 hours since overhaul. There were no subsequent maintenance entries related to the No. 4 cylinder. Based on the evidence, it is likely that maintenance personnel applied insufficient torque to the cylinder's bottom forward hold-down nut, which allowed it to loosen over time. The stress load was then transferred to the remaining nuts, which resulted in the failure of the stubs and through bolts and to the separation of the No. 4 cylinder.
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 eng cyl section › Failure
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › (general) › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Incorrect service/maintenance
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 143 hours in all; 65 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 16, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,032.6 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, November 17, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-550 (piston); 2,946 hours total
- Operator: Kdk Associates INC
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 3:20 pm
- Destination: UZA Rock Hill SC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from SSI, 1 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
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.
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.