What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Narrative: aircraft departed toksook bay for Bethel, Alaska with mail onboard. While descending into Bethel, Alaska the aircraft experienced a rough running engine and smoke filled the cockpit. Also, the pilot experienced fire coming out of the cowling. The pilot was able to land on a frozen lake. Prior to coming to a stop the aircraft pitched over causing minor damage to the right wing tip, propeller and spinner. No injuries were sustained. A subsequent inspection of the damage by the pilot and mechanics revealed that an engine piston connecting rod fractured and broke through the case. The owner does not intend to have the engine disassembled to determine why the failure occurred. There was no mid air collision and the airport and weather were not a factor. The national transportation safety board was notified and damage classified as an incident.
As the FAA filed it
NARRATIVE: AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TOKSOOK BAY FOR BETHEL, ALASKA WITH MAIL ONBOARD. WHILE DESCENDING INTO BETHEL, ALASKA THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A ROUGH RUNNING ENGINE AND SMOKE FILLED THE COCKPIT. ALSO, THE PILOT EXPERIENCED FIRE COMING OUT OF THE COWLING. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND ON A FROZEN LAKE. PRIOR TO COMING TO A STOP THE AIRCRAFT PITCHED OVER CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO THE RIGHT WING TIP, PROPELLER AND SPINNER. NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED. A SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE BY THE PILOT AND MECHANICS REVEALED THAT AN ENGINE PISTON CONNECTING ROD FRACTURED AND BROKE THROUGH THE CASE. THE OWNER DOES NOT INTEND TO HAVE THE ENGINE DISASSEMBLED TO DETERMINE WHY THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO MID AIR COLLISION AND THE AIRPORT AND WEATHER WERE NOT A FACTOR. THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD WAS NOTIFIED AND DAMAGE CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.
Other reports on N5277J · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.