Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Augusta, Georgia, December 5, 2007
On December 5, 2007 at about 11:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N43274, was substantially damaged in an accident near Augusta, Georgia. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the fatigue fracture of the number 2 cylinder attach studs, and the subsequent separation of the number 2 cylinder.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 2007 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Augusta, Georgia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N43274 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7435259
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While enroute to the destination airport, the pilot reported to air traffic control that he had a "rough running engine,"and asked where the nearest airport was. He was given vectors for an airport and subsequently reported that the airplane's engine lost power and that he would attempt to land on a road. The airplane touched down in a parking lot and continued to travel for about 50 feet, until it impacted a building and caught fire. A witness reported that the engine sounded as if "all the cylinders weren't firing." Examination of the engine revealed that the number 2 cylinder was displaced from the crankcase and the associated connecting rod was separated from the crankshaft. Examination of the studs used to attach the cylinder to the crankcase revealed that they were fractured due to fatigue. Additionally, continued operation of the engine after the separation of the cylinder fractured the associated connecting rod to produce mechanical damage inside of the crankcase. According to maintenance records, 22 months prior to the accident the engine case was repaired when a crack was noted. The engine was reinstalled and the airplane returned to service two months later, at 977 hours since major overhaul. The most recent 100-hour inspection was performed one month prior to the accident with no anomalies noted. At that time, the engine had accumulated 1409 hours since major overhaul. The investigator could not determine if a specific maintenance action initiated and allowed the fatigue crack.
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: 208 hours in all; 33 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,704 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 2007; 38 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Pheonix Air
The flight
- Departed from: CHS Charleston SC at 10:45 pm
- Destination: VPC Cartersville GA
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from AGS, 10 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.
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.