Piper PA-28RT-201T accident near Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, March 15, 1994
On March 15, 1994 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201T, registered N8335X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE ENGINE FAILURE AS A RESULT OF A MAIN BEARING SHIFT AND RESTRICTED LUBRICATION, AND THE LACK OF SUITABLE TERRAIN FOR A FORCED LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 1994 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201T PA-28RT-20 · all PA-28RT-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8335X · registry record · serial 28R8331013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE CRUISING AT 5000 FEET, THE PILOT OBSERVED THE OIL PRESSURE FLUCTUATING AND DROP TO ZERO. THE ENGINE STARTED TO RUN ROUGHLY AND SMOKE EMANATED FROM THE COWLING. THE PILOT SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND INITIATED A FORCED LANDING. HE LANDED ON A SNOW COVERED FIELD AND THE LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. AN EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED THE FRACTURE OF THE NUMBER 2 CYLINDER CONNECTING ROD. THE NUMBER 2 MAIN BEARING APPEARED TO HAVE SHIFTED FORWARD, BLOCKING THE OIL SUPPLY TO THIS BEARING. EVENTUALLY THE BEARING OVERHEATED, AND THE CONNECTING ROD FAILED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,203 hours in all; 825 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,720 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 3, 1993; 32 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BTP Butler PA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: JYO Leesburg VA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.