NTSB CAROL · Event
Event LAX87LA275
Registry · N91338
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-161
Year of manufacture
1985 · 2 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19851002
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ACA4B2
Registrant of record
KEJAIR LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Factual narrative
WHILE CLIMBING TO CRUISE PLT HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE FOLLOWED BY 'VIOLENT VIBRATIONS' & A LOSS OF POWER. PLT MADE A FRCD LNDING IN A NEWLY EXCAVATED CONSTRUCTION SITE & WENT OVER AN EMBANKMENT. INVES REVEALED DEFORMATION OF THE #4 CYLINDER VALVE COVER. #4 EXHAUST VALVE ROCKER ARM WAS FOUND TO BE BROKEN. REVIEW OF ACFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED THAT AD 87-10-06 WHICH INCORPORATES LYCOMING SERVICE BULLETIN (SB) 477A WAS ACCOMP 78.7 HRS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE SB REQUIRES ROCKER ARMS THAT DO NOT HAVE A WALL THICKNESS OF.075 BE REPLACED. IF THE ROCKER ARM PASSES THE THICKNESS EXAM THE ROCKER ARM OIL DRIP HOLE OUTER EDGE MUST BE 'BURRED' TO THE APPROX .030 RADIUS PRIOR TO REASSEMBLY. THE ROCKER ARM WAS MEASURED USING A ROUND ANVIL MICROMETER. THE MEASUREMENT MET THE MIN DIMENSION OF .075. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, MET LAB EXAM REVEALED FRACTURE FEATURES OF HIGH CYCLE FATIGUE & OVERSTRESS. THE ORIGIN OF THE FATIGUE WAS TRACED TO THE REWORKED OIL DRIP HOLE WHICH DID NOT MEET .030 RADIUS. THE WALL THICKNESS MEASURED .055 USING A MEASURING MICROSCOPE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1987_LAX87LA275.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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Related research
What the literature says.
Academic papers and agency reports matching this event's aircraft type or causal vocabulary (maintenance). Sourced from NASA NTRS, NTSB Safety Studies, FAA CAMI, AOPA Air Safety Institute, Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons, arXiv, and the Semantic Scholar academic graph.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2026 · Journal article (IJAAA)
From Reactive to Predictive: A hybrid Trust-Mediated Adoption Framework for Data-Driven Maintenance in Distributed-Authority Aviation Environments
Modern aviation maintenance operates within increasingly data-intensive technological environments, yet the operational integration of predictive maintenance into routine decision-making remains incon…
- Semantic Scholar 2025 · Article (Applied Sciences)
Decision-Making Framework for Aviation Safety in Predictive Maintenance Strategies
The implementation of predictive maintenance (PM) in aviation presents unique challenges due to strict safety requirements, complex operational environments, and regulatory constraints.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
Low-Resource Automatic Speech Recognition Domain Adaptation – A Case-Study in Aviation Maintenance
With timeliness and efficiency being critical in the aviation maintenance industry, the need has been growing for smart technological solutions that optimize and streamline the different underlying ta…
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (JAAER)
A New Trajectory in UAV Safety: Leveraging Reinforcement Learning for Distance Maintenance Under Wind Variations
In the field of aviation, safety is a critical cornerstone, and the operation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems is deeply connected with this principle.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Just Culture in Aviation: A Metaphorical Study on Aircraft Maintenance Students
Just Culture, a sub-dimension of safety culture, has been a prominent and debated topic in aviation safety in recent years.
- Embry-Riddle Scholarly Commons 2024 · Journal article (IJAAA)
Performance PRISM: A Comprehensive Framework For Performance Measurement In Aircraft Maintenance
Aircraft maintenance is governed by rigorous safety requirements and high operational complexity, demanding robust performance measurement frameworks to ensure optimal maintenance practices.
Browse the full corpus — academia portal ↗