What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Aircraft made emergency landing. Indicated a dead stick was probable, cleared to land. Impacted frozen ground. (-4)the private pilot declared an emergency while at 16,000 feet in VFR conditions overhead the 9,000 foot runway. During the descent he stated his engine ran rough, then smoothed out. Approximately 4,000 ft AGL he stated he 'had a major problem...coming down.' Witnesses described the airplane in a steep descent, then entering a spin at approximately 1,000 ft AGL. The airplane impacted 3/4 mile short of the runway. Testing revealed the crankshaft failed in 2 places, both with areas of fatigue cracking. The fatigue origin was subsurface, the shaft was machined, not forged, and had an estimated 150 to 200 hours in operation. No other discrepancies were found with the airplane.
As the FAA filed it
AIRCRAFT MADE EMERGENCY LANDING. INDICATED A DEAD STICK WAS PROBABLE, CLEARED TO LAND. IMPACTED FROZEN GROUND. (-4)THE PRIVATE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY WHILE AT 16,000 FEET IN VFR CONDITIONS OVERHEAD THE 9,000 FOOT RUNWAY. DURING THE DESCENT HE STATED HIS ENGINE RAN ROUGH, THEN SMOOTHED OUT. APPROXIMATELY 4,000 FT AGL HE STATED HE 'HAD A MAJOR PROBLEM...COMING DOWN.' WITNESSES DESCRIBED THE AIRPLANE IN A STEEP DESCENT, THEN ENTERING A SPIN AT APPROXIMATELY 1,000 FT AGL. THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED 3/4 MILE SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. TESTING REVEALED THE CRANKSHAFT FAILED IN 2 PLACES, BOTH WITH AREAS OF FATIGUE CRACKING. THE FATIGUE ORIGIN WAS SUBSURFACE, THE SHAFT WAS MACHINED, NOT FORGED, AND HAD AN ESTIMATED 150 TO 200 HOURS IN OPERATION. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND WITH THE AIRPLANE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.