Piper PA-28-140 accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia, December 6, 1991
On December 6, 1991 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N7411J, was destroyed in an accident near Lawrenceville, Georgia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE SEPARATION OF NUMBERS 1,2, AND 3 CONNECTING RODS FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS RESULTING IN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 6, 1991 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Lawrenceville, Georgia
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N7411J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24776
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ENG LOST PARTIAL POWER AND PLT TURNED BACK TOWARD DEPARTURE ARPT. AFTER TURN PLT NOTICED OIL PRESSURE WAS ZERO. ENG THEN LOST ALL POWER. ACFT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AND A DITCH WHILE MAKING A FORCED LANDING. A POST CRASH FIRE ERRUPTED AND CONSUMED THE ACFT. POST CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE ENG ASSEMBLY REVEALED NUMBERS 1, 2, AND 3 CONNECTING RODS WERE DISCONNECTED FROM THE CRANKSHAFT AND THE ROD BEARINGS WERE BURNED AND SCORED. THE ENGINE OIL PUMP WAS INTACT. THE ENG ACCESSORIES HAD BURNED AWAY AND THE CAUSE OF CONNECTING ROD SEPARATION COULD NOT BE DETERMINED.
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: 77 hours in all; 77 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 49 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,600 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1990; 85 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: LZU Lawrenceville GA at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 08A Wetumpka AL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from PDK, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.