Piper PA32 accident near Bartow, Florida, September 28, 2018
On September 28, 2018 at about 5:25 pm local time, a 1975 Piper PA32, registered N4592X, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Bartow, Florida. 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
A total loss of engine power after the separation of the No. 3 cylinder from the crankcase due to improper maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2018 · about 5:25 pm local time
- Place
- Bartow, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32 300, built 1975 · all PA32s on the register
- Registration
- N4592X · no longer on the register · serial 32-7640039
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that during cruise flight, the engine began to run roughly. The No. 3 cylinder then separated from the airplane; the engine lost all power, and oil began to cover the windshield. The pilot flew via instruments and landed in a marsh; the right wing of the airplane separated after contacting a tree. Postaccident engine examination revealed impact marks on the engine crankcase where the No. 3 cylinder would have been secured. The marks were consistent with the cylinder impacting the case multiple times. The examination also revealed that several of the nuts on other cylinders were well below the required 50 ft-lbs of torque. The engine's most recent overhaul was completed about 12 years before the accident, and the engine had accrued about 366 hours since that overhaul; there was no record of cylinder removal or replacement since the engine overhaul. It is likely that undertorqued cylinder nuts allowed the cylinder to come loose and separate from the engine. The investigation could not determine if the undertorqued condition of the cylinder nuts was the result of an improper overhaul or possible improper undocumented maintenance after the overhaul.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise)
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- 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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 465 hours in all; 382 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 465 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 28, 2017
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,047 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 16, 2018; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 4,047 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: VDF Tampa FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from BOW, 5 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on December 10, 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - Engine Exam | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | 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.