Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lakeland, Florida, December 31, 1994
On December 31, 1994 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N4300S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lakeland, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE ENGINE NO.1 VALVE SPRING THAT JAMMED THE INTAKE VALVE OPEN RESULTING IN PARTIAL 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 31, 1994 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lakeland, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N4300S · registry record · serial 8316064
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT THE ENGINE LOST POWER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTED A FORCED LANDING AT NIGHT TO AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. DURING APPROACH THE AIRPLANE HIT WIRES. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AFTER THE ACCIDENT REVEALED FATIGUE FAILURE OF THE NO.1 CYLINDER OUTER INTAKE VALVE SPRING THAT JAMMED THE INNER SPRING RESULTING IN THE VALVE BEING JAMMED OPEN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 894 hours in all; 114 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,068 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1993; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 040° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 pm from LAL, 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 N4300S the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.