# Accident 19970328003929A: Beech G33, Tulsa, OK, March 28, 1997 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: March 28, 1997, 09:09 local time - Place: Tulsa, OK - Airport: Richard Lloyd Jones Jr Airport - Damage: Substantial damage - Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 35.9408° N, 95.8697° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9408&lon=-95.8697&mi=10 - Aircraft: N166B, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N166B) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Beech G33 (registry code 1151435, https://openairdocs.org/model/beech-g33) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Continental I0-470 series (registry code 17027, https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-i0-470-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: BEECH G33 - Reported engine: CONT IO470N - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Pilot flight hours: 899 total, 72 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB FTW97LA146](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA146) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970328003929A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ON MARCH 28, 1997, APPROXIMATELY 0909 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A BEECH G33 AIRPLANE, N166B, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER NEAR BIXBY, OKLAHOMA. THE COMMERICIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 91. VISAUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE PERSONAL CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT WHICH ORIGINATED FROM RICHARD LLOYD JONES JR. AIRPORT IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA, APPROXIMATELY 15 MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED. THE PILOT REPORTED TO THE INVESTIGATOR IN CHARGE (IIC) THAT HE HAD JUST LEVELED OFF AT 7500 FEET WHEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO "SHAKE VIOLENTLY". THE PILOT REVERESED THE AIRPLANES COURSE TO FLY BACK TO THE POINT ON DEPARTURE WHEN THE ENGINE "STOPPED", AND OIL STARTED TO APPEAR ON THE WINDSHIELD. A FORCED LANDING WAS PERFORMED IN AN OPEN FIELD. THE PILOT TO THE IIC THAT ON SHORT FINAL, THE AIRPLANE HIT A TRANSMISSION WIRE AND HE SUBSEQUENTLY WAS DELAYED IN LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRPLANE LANDED WITH THE LANDING GEAR IN TRANSITION. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANES IMPACT WITH THE GROUND WAS "SEVERE," AND THE "PILOT D ID A GOOD JOB BRINGING THE AIRPLANE TO A HALT." THE FUSELAGE, ENGINE MOUNT, AND FIRE WALL WERE TWISTED: AND, THE AIRFRAME STRUCTURE AROUND ALL THREE LANDING GEAR WAS DAMAGED. POSTCRASH EXAMINAITON OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A HOLE IN THE ENDING CASE. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE ENGINE WAS TORN DOWN. THE FAA INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO THIS ACCIDENT REPORTED TO THE IIC THAT THE ROD BOLT HEAD TO THE NUMBER TWO CLYINDER WAS FOUND ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE CASE IN "RELATIVELY UNDAMAGED CONDITION" HE FURTHER STATED THAT AHE BELIEVED THAT THE ROD BOLT WAS "EITHER OVER TORQUED OR UNDER TORQUED DURING ENGINE ASSEMBLY WHICH LED TO THE BOLT FAILURE AND THE NUNBER TWO ROD FAILURE WELL BEFORE TBO". ACCORDING TO THE AIRPLANES ENGINE LOGBOOK AND THE PILOTS FLIGHT LOGBOOK, THE ENGINE HAD RUN APPROXIMATELY 604 HOURS SINCE BEING OVERHAULED IN AUGUST OF 1991. THE IIC HAD THREE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE PILOT WHO WILLINGLY PROVIDED INFORMATION. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD NTSBS PILOT/OPERATOR AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT(6120.1/2) FORM "RIGHT ON MY DESK." HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE WOULD "MAIL IT IN A COUPLE OF DAYS." THE IIC NEVER RECEIVED TEH 6120.1/2 FROM THE PILOT. (-23) THE BEECHCRAFT, N166B, WITH THE PILOT, AND ONE PASSENGE TOOK OFF ROM R.L. JONES ARPT. (RVS), TULSA, OK, AT 08:45, 03/28/97, BOUND FOR LITTLE ROCK (LIT). AS THE AIRCRAFT LEVELED OUT AT APPROXIMATELY 7500 FT., THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN VERY ROUGH. THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO RVS, WHEN THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING AND OIL SHOWED UP ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND IN AN OPEN FIELD AT APPROXIMATELY 09:05, 03/28/97, AFTER COLLISIN WITH AN ELECTRIC WIRE. DURING LANDING, THE LANDING GEAR WAS IN TRANSIT, AND NOT COMPLETELY EXTENDED. STRUCTURAL DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE FUSELAGE AND WINGS IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA. UPON INSPECTION IT WAS FOUND THAT A PISTON ROD HAD FAILED AND BROKE A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE CRANK CASE NEAR THE MAGNETO. THE MAGNETOS WERE BROKEN LOOSE FROM THEIR MOUNTS. AIRCRAFT RELEASED TO OWNER. A TEARDOWN INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF THE PISTON ROD FAILURE. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB FTW97LA146](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW97LA146), Mar 28, 1997: Beech G33 (N166B), Bixby, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of a number two connecting rod bolt, possibly from being either over-torqued or under-torqued during installation, and failure of the pilot to see-and-avoid the transmission line, while… ## Other reports on N166B (3) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19910401013059I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19910401013059I), Apr 1, 1991: Beech G33 (N166B), Tucumcari, NM, Minor damage. Pilot became distracted and failed to lower landing gear. Landed gear up. - [Incident 19890811050579I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19890811050579I), Aug 11, 1989: Beech G33 (N166B), Fittstown, OK, Minor damage. Rough engine. Smoke in cabin. Forced landing in field, disclosed partial separation of NR1 clyinder head. - [Accident 19760711017989A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19760711017989A), Jul 11, 1976: Beech G33 (N166B), Eureka, KS, Substantial damage. Pwr apld for go-around acft pitched up. From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.