SONITA, AZ, USA
N1429C
PIPER PA-22-135
DURING CRUISE FLIGHT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PILOT EXECUTED EMERGENCY PROCEDURES TO TRY TO REGAIN ADEQUATE POWER. THE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED AND THE AIRCRAFT COULD NOT MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT. THE PILOT EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO A FIELD. DURING THE LANDING ROLL, THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH A DITCH, TRAVELED ABOUT 20 YARDS, AND NOSED OVER. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE REVEALED THAT A PISTON RING IN THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER WAS BROKEN WHICH ALLOWED BLOW BY IN THE CYLINDER. THE PILOT SAID THAT HE HAD VAPOR LOCK. HE TOLD AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR THAT HE HAD USED AUTOMOBILE GAS FOR THE FLIGHT AND THE GAS WAS TRANSPORTED USING 'OLD CANS' FROM HIS FATHER'S HOUSE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO INDICATE THAT THE AIRCRAFT'S ENGINE HAD VAPOR LOCK.
A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO A BROKEN PISTON RING IN THE NUMBER 3 CYLINDER, WHICH RESULTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S INABILITY TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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