PIPER PA46

Full Narrative

On June 18, 2023, about 0843 central daytime time, a Piper PA46-350P airplane, N463HP, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near College Station, Texas. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that, during the climb through 4,000 ft mean sea level (msl), the oil temperature began increasing to 215°F, which was higher than the normal range of 190-200°F. The pilot reduced the airplane’s climb rate to increase cooling, but the oil temperature continued to climb to 230°F. At that time, the pilot requested an instrument clearance back to Easterwood Field Airport (CLL), College Station, Texas. While receiving vectors for the RNAV 11 approach at CLL, the pilot descended to about 2,000 ft msl when he noted smoke in the cabin and a loss of engine power. Unable to glide to any runway, the pilot selected a field to perform a forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage during the forced landing.

Eleven days before the accident flight, on June 7, 2023, the pilot was conducting a cross-country flight when he observed decreased manifold pressure and a partial loss of engine power. The pilot diverted to CLL, where after troubleshooting, an aviation mechanic told the pilot that the turbocharger required replacement. After the turbocharger was replaced, the mechanic completed an uneventful engine test run. An engine logbook entry dated June 16, 2023, stated that in addition to replacing the turbocharger, the mechanic drained the engine oil, opened the oil filter, and cleaned the oil pickup screen, where a small amount of metal was observed. The oil sump was flushed, and 11 quarts of new oil added to the engine. The maintenance logbook entry noted that after the maintenance, the engine ran normally at 42 inches of manifold pressure.

Postaccident examination of the engine was conducted with the assistance of a technical representative from Lycoming Engines. The engine oil sump contained about 2 quarts of oil, and the recovered oil displayed evidence of metal contamination. The oil filter was removed, and the filter material was found to be saturated with metallic particles. There was no evidence of any loose or disconnected oil lines. Engine crankshaft continuity was established with cylinder compression noted on all cylinders except for cylinder No. 6. The sparkplugs exhibited signatures of normal operation. The oil suction screen plug located in the oil sump was found not secured with safety wire as required per the manufacturer’s maintenance manual. There was no evidence that the plug or its required safety wire were damaged by other objects. The oil suction screen plug was found loose, with engine oil observed below the oil suction screen plug. The crush washer behind the oil screen plug was found intact with no damage.

A portion of the oil dipstick port and fractured crankcase were submitted for additional metallurgical examination. The laboratory examination revealed no evidence of material defects in the crankcase material, and the observed fracture features were consistent with overload. Additional laboratory analysis of the metallic debris recovered from the oil suction screen was consistent with connecting rod material as well as steel from fittings, fasteners, and brackets.