Piper PA-32-300 accident near Mims, Florida, November 23, 2005
On November 23, 2005 at about 3:41 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N666DE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mims, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of engine power due to improper installation of the #2 cylinder by maintenance personnel, which resulted in the separation of the cylinder as a result of fatigue cracking of the cylinder to crankcase fasteners. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2005 · about 3:41 pm local time
- Place
- Mims, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N666DE · registry record · serial 32-7540161
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, the pilot reported to air traffic control that the airplane's engine had ceased operating and declared an emergency. Subsequently, the pilot reported that there was "oil all over the windshield" and that he was attempting a forced landing. The airplane collided with trees in a densely wooded area. No witnesses to the accident were identified. During examination of the wreckage, oil was noted on the bottom of the fuselage, the inboard bottom skins of the left and right wings, and the tail surfaces. The #2 cylinder was found separated from the engine. Examination of the engine revealed that all 8 of the fasteners (6 studs and 2 through bolts) securing the #2 cylinder to the crankcase were separated. Fretting was noted on the mating surfaces of the cylinder base flange and the crankcase deck (flat face around the cylinder bore) and on the mating surfaces of the crankcase halves. Metallurgical examination of the 8 fasteners indicated they all separated due to fatigue cracking probably due to insufficient clamping force. Insufficient clamping force can result from improper torque application at cylinder installation or from the clamped surfaces moving closer over time. Fracture of the studs led to separation of the #2 cylinder from the crankcase and a loss of engine power. Examination of the maintenance records showed that the engine had accumulated about 839 hours since a major overhaul approximately 13 years prior to the accident. There were no entries in the records indicating removal of the #2 cylinder since the major 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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,390 hours in all; 1,146 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,976 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F45 West Palm Beach FL at 1:50 pm
- Destination: GMU Greenville SC
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from TIX, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
Other NTSB records under N666DE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA06FA024.