Piper PA-32-300 accident near Edisto Island, South Carolina, January 11, 2022
On January 11, 2022 at about 5:47 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA-32-300, registered N475RT, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Edisto Island, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the fatigue failure of the crankshaft counterweight retaining ring and the No. 6 connecting rod.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 11, 2022 · about 5:47 pm local time
- Place
- Edisto Island, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300, built 1974 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N475RT · no longer on the register · serial 32-7540028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff the engine started to “sputter,” then stopped producing power; oil then blew out of the engine cowling onto the windshield. The pilot made a forced landing in a field and the airplane contacted a wire fence, resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident inspection of the engine revealed that the engine crankcase was ruptured in two places near the Nos. 5 and 6 cylinders. Subsequent detailed examinations showed the Nos. 5 and 6 connecting rods were fractured and that a counterweight retaining ring (circlip) was missing its eyelets and had separated from the counterweight assembly. Additional metallurgical examination revealed that the counterweight retaining ring failed due to fatigue. The failure allowed the counterweight roller to eject from the counterweight. Additionally, the No. 6 connecting rod exhibited evidence of a fatigue failure in multiple locations and the Nos. 5 and 6 pistons showed evidence of detonation. It is likely that the fatigue failure of the retaining ring or the fatigue failure of the No. 6 connecting rod occurred and propagated throughout the engine until a catastrophic failure resulted. The failure sequence could not be determined, but it is likely that the piston detonation exacerbated the process.
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 during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 386.6 hours in all; 260.7 in this make and model; 22.4 in the last 90 days; 19.5 in the last 30 days; 309 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 25, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,191 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 6,804 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CPC Whiteville NC at 5:40 pm
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.48 inHg
- Observation at 1:15 pm from JZI, 19 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KJZI 111815Z AUTO 05004KT 10SM CLR 10/M09 A3048 RMK AO2
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on October 5, 2023. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Engine Maintenance Records_excerpt | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Airframe and Engine Examination Report | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Lycoming Engines Materials Lab Report _redacted | PDF, 36 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Memorandum for Record - Permission from Lycoming Engines to Release Materials Laboratory Investigation Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array_accident Site and Airplane Damage | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Photo Array_initial Engine Examination | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Lycoming Party Form_signed | PDF, 10 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.