Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Raton, New Mexico, December 31, 1996
On December 31, 1996 at about 8:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N40437, was substantially damaged in an accident near Raton, New Mexico. 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
failure of the exhaust rocker arm retaining studs due to over torquing of the attachment bolts by maintenance personnel during installation. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 31, 1996 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Raton, New Mexico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N40437 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7703304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that while in cruise flight the airplane shuddered and began to lose power. She changed the fuel selector from the right to left tank; checked the fuel mixture, the exhaust gas temperature, and the instrument panel. The pilot reported that the engine performance continued to decay and she initiated a forced landing to a pasture. Examination of the engine revealed that the number two cylinder exhaust rocker arm retaining studs had separated. Examination of the studs by a metallurgist revealed that over torquing of the attachment nuts during installation caused plastic deformation of the studs and probable cracking in the threads which led to a fatigue crack in at least one of the studs. The fatigue crack led to the subsequent failure of the exhaust rocker arm retaining studs.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 860 hours in all; 213 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 813 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,155 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1996; 38 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-F (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MDD Midland TX at 7:10 pm
- Destination: TAD Trinidad CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 60 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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.