Piper PA-32-300 accident near Plymouth, Florida, November 7, 1993
On November 7, 1993 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N9000M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Plymouth, Florida (Orlando Country airport). 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
TOTAL FAILURE OF THE CRANKSHAFT DUE TO FATIGUE RESULTING IN A FORCED LANDING AND SUBSEQUENT HARD LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 1993 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Plymouth, Florida · Orlando Country
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N9000M · registry record · serial 32-7240053
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF WHILE CLIMBING TO CRUISE, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING IN A FIELD AND LANDED HARD. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THAT THE CRANKSHAFT FAILED AT THE CONNECTING ROD THRUST FACE JUST ABOVE THE REAR FILLET RADIUS OF THE NO.5 CRANKPIN JOURNAL. METALLURGICAL EXAMINATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT REVEALED THAT IT FAILED DUE TO FATIGUE. REVIEW OF THE ENGINE LOGBOOKS REVEALED THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED THEN DURING THE RUN-IN, A CAM FOLLOWER FAILED. THE ENGINE WAS DISASSEMBLED AND THE CRANKSHAFT WAS MAGNAFLUXED. NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED. THE ENGINE WAS OVERHAULED AGAIN AND HAD ACCUMULATED ABOUT 372 HOURS SINCE THE SECOND 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
- Flight time: 412 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,454 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1993; 42 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from ORL, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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 MIA94LA017.