Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain crash, Oct 18, 1995 (1 killed)
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain accident on October 18, 1995 near New York-JFK, New York, United States with 1 fatality. Cause: In-flight separation...
- Date: October 18, 1995
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
- Location: New York-JFK, New York, United States
- Fatalities: 1
- Phase of flight: En route
- Cause: In-flight separation of the No. 2 cylinder from fatigue cracking of the hold-down studs and main bearing thru-studs, which were improperly torqued and had low preload.
A Piper Navajo Chieftain charter flight from Atlantic City lost its left engine when cylinder No. 2 separated in flight. After feathering the propeller, the crew could not hold altitude and ditched in the Atlantic about six miles south of JFK. Four of the five occupants escaped, but one passenger who was in cardiac arrest died after being recovered from the water.